Latest news with #GypsyCommunity
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Plans for rejected Appleby horse sculpture resubmitted
Plans for a sculpture to celebrate a town's links to the Gypsy and traveller community have been submitted again after being rejected. In April, Westmorland and Furness Council refused a planning application for a stallion statue on the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, to celebrate the town's role in hosting the annual horse fair - a big event in the traveller community interest firm Drive 2 Survive, which is behind the statue, has amended its proposal, with the artwork now planned for Salt Tip Corner, opposite the entrance to Roman firm said it hoped the sculpture, which would be 7ft (2m) tall on top of a concrete plinth, would be "visible and celebrated". Previous plans for the sculpture were rejected by the council following backlash by locals over the "impact of the sculpture's symbolic presence on community cohesion, emotional comfort and the shared use of the site", according to the council.A report prepared by council planning officers said those plans received 163 letters of support, 72 objections and 21 observation new plans are currently in consultation. 'Celebrate Gypsy community' According to an artist's statement submitted with the application, the team has chosen the new location because it is where the most expensive horses are bought and sold for cash during the fair. It said the sculpture was intended to make the contribution of the Gypsy and traveller community to Appleby "visible, permanent and celebrated".It said when the fair was not on, there was "little tangible evidence" of the event in the town. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Court order blocks expansion of Cambridge caravan park after fire
Court order bans more caravans at site of fire 9 minutes ago Share Save Joanna Taylor BBC News, Cambridgeshire Share Save JOHN SUTTON A fire broke out at The Laurels caravan park in Cambridge last month A court order banning more caravans and mobile homes being added to a site has been put in place after several were destroyed by a fire. The blaze spread to 11 caravans as well as stables, outbuildings and vehicles at The Laurels in Fen Road on the outskirts of Cambridge on 20 April. South Cambridgeshire District Council said The Laurels only had planning permission for seven pitches. The High Court injunction was obtained on Friday, a spokesperson said, and adding more caravans would pose a "public safety risk". The council said planning permission was granted specifically for seven pitches to be used by people from the Gypsy and traveller communities. "However, the green belt site has been used recently for a much greater number of caravans - some of which were being used by people who are not from the Gypsy and traveller community," they said. "As well as breaking planning rules, the potential replacement of the unauthorised caravans would again pose a significant fire risk." JOANNE ASHMAN About 45 firefighters responded to the blaze in Fen Road last month The authority, which shares its planning services with Cambridge City Council, said it was "assessing the most appropriate approach" for the units that remain at the site, but that it was illegal to add more. South Cambridgeshire District Council's lead member for housing, Liberal Democract John Batchelor, said the council "continues to offer free advice and support to people displaced from the site" after the fire. He said council staff "always assess whether anyone facing homelessness needs a place to stay for a short time". The injunction runs until 1 May 2026. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
