Enderby caravan families face eviction as 'not travellers'

Blaby District Council said site owners "unlawfully rented mobile homes in breach of the planning permission"

Residents who live on licensed travellers' sites are facing eviction because they are not travellers.

Owners of the two sites, in Enderby, Leicestershire, applied to upgrade existing caravans and change the use to enable non-travellers to live there.

Blaby District Council said the owners "unlawfully rented mobile homes in breach of the planning permission" and refused the application.

The 25 homes are set to receive enforcement notices to leave.

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Mobile homes on Field View Park and The Old Stables were approved for traveller use with planning rules exceptions applied from 2006.

However, tenants not from the travelling community are residing in the caravans and are expected to be told to leave.

Site manager Andrew Field described the decision as "not fair"

Amy Ruddle, who has lived at The Old Stables for two years with her family, said: "We're being told we have to leave because we're not Gypsies."

Andrew Field, who is manager for both sites and lives on Field View Park, said: "It's not fair, it's almost a form of racism, because we're not travellers we'll be evicted."

Mr Field said he was told by planning officers to be classed as a traveller, there must be evidence of moving from place to place or a family history or links to the travelling community.

Some of the residents said they cannot afford to rent elsewhere.

The authority said its homelessness team was standing by to assist residents

Officers also recommended the refusal due to issues with visual amenity, drainage and sewerage and that the land sits in the green wedge - an area between a built-up area and the countryside.

Cat Hartley, chief planning officer, said: "We didn't make this recommendation lightly."

She added the council's homelessness team was standing by to assist and residents would be helped going forward.