Beryl Larkin's bid to save caravan home in Treuddyn fails

The former nurse said a council letter advises her to remove her possessions to allow for the removal work

A planning application by a 71-year-old woman bidding to save her caravan home from being removed is invalid, Flintshire planners have said.

Beryl Larkin has lived in her field at Treuddyn, near Mold, for 19 years.

Her lawyer had hoped the application would stall Wednesday's plan to demolish or remove the caravan.

But the council's chief planning officer said they would "not be delaying the action which Mrs Larkin was made aware of in October 2013".

The council said she had twice been prosecuted for failing to comply with an enforcement notice dating back to January 2001.

Andrew Farrow, the council's chief officer for planning and environment, said even if her application had been valid, "given the history to this case it is highly unlikely that planning permission would be granted either by the council or by an inspector acting on behalf of the Welsh ministers on appeal".

He said: "Mrs Larkin has previously had an application for a personal permission refused by the council and on appeal in 2004 and there have been no material changes in circumstances since then."

In a four-page letter last week, the council said any legal challenge should have been brought within three months of October 2013.