Travellers who concreted over six-acre green belt field to turn it into a static caravan park could be forced to rip it up
Travelers who sparked outrage when they concreted a prime greenbelt site and turned it into a caravan park may now have to dismantle it.
The rural six-acre estate near Burtonwood, Cheshire, was turned into a grey, gravel compound by heavy machinery last year, just hours after it was sold.
In just 72 hours over the Bank Holiday weekend in May, half the pitch was hard cored and an ugly 3 meter high fence was erected around it.
Striking photographs have revealed the rapid transformation from lush green pastures to a gray mess occupied by 13 caravans, four vans, a digger and three cars within weeks.
Local people were outraged, fearing that the retrospective planning application would allow development to continue, as in other cases across the country.
Around 50 people attended local independent councilor Stuart Mann’s surgery benefit the following day and Warrington Borough Council launched an investigation which resulted in the submission of an enforcement notice.
It emerged that the new owner of the land, John Very, had applied as expected but was forced to tear up the concrete stain after his offer was rejected.
The plans stated the work was for a gypsy and traveler settlement, with four pitches and associated landscaping and the installation of a farm gate on the footpath at the corner of Tan House Lane and Farmers Lane.
Before and after: Diggers worked through the night to transform a field in the village of Burtonwood, near Warrington, Cheshire, into a concrete caravan park in less than three days
An excavator can be seen tearing up the grass while caravans are parked at the far end of the plot.
It was stated that the new facility will house a mix of 16 caravans and mobile homes.
Responding to the rejection of the plans, councilor Stuart Mann said: ‘I have always been clear that my concerns are with any landowner undertaking development work without following the standard planning process.
‘Many residents are rightly frustrated when they follow the rules, apply and wait for decisions, only to find others act first and apply later.
‘Although it has taken much longer than I would have liked, I am satisfied that the correct legal process was followed for the retrospective planning application to be fully considered.’
In its decision notice, the council wrote: ‘The proposed development does not provide safe and convenient access to the site for all users and the location lacks infrastructure for pedestrians.’
It was stated that the proposal was an ‘unsustainable form of development’ and would have an ‘unacceptable impact’ on the adjacent road.
It also said the site would not provide ‘convenient access to local services’ or ‘more sustainable modes of transport’.
The statement continued: ‘Given the Local Plan Sustainability Assessment Site assessment framework, the site will not meet all the criteria, particularly in terms of access to more sustainable modes of transport and local services.’
The new owners turned the area into this caravan park without obtaining any planning permission.
The work was carried out continuously for 72 hours during a public holiday period when the municipality was virtually inactive, and a large new sign was installed.
The land was purchased on 23 May 2025 and the caravans were moved in the same day.
Villagers reported that they worked non-stop from 18:00 until Sunday evening, excavators destroyed half of the field, dump trucks carried the soil, and bulldozers and heavy vehicles rumbled forward.
The land is located on Farmers Lane, at the junction with Tan House Lane, where locals insist green belt land be dedicated to agricultural use only.
The development sparked cries of ‘green belt vandalism’ and a total of 107 letters of objection were submitted against it.
One objector wrote: ‘The land has been destroyed without any planning permission, our green belts have been completely destroyed with absolutely no regard for rules or residents.
‘It’s absolutely disgusting that this was allowed to happen.’
Another fumed: “’The site has damaged the natural beauty of the area and turned what was once a green belt into a caravan park.
‘Failure to reject this planning application will lead to further use of the system in similar ways in the area, which will seriously damage significant natural beauty and wildlife.’
Only 18 letters of support emerged; some claimed the plans were ‘environmentally respectful and considerate’.
The Mail visited the village of Burtonwood last June to gauge the reaction.
A desperate resident told us: ‘They arrived en masse, truck after truck, on my way to work throughout the night.
‘It was a huge convoy, resembling an Army operation. The noise was unbearable; ‘You couldn’t sleep.’
A horrified homeowner, who lives around hundreds of meters from the site, said: ‘The machine was so big that some items in the house were shaking. It was scary like an earthquake. ‘We didn’t know what it was at first.’
A local estimated that the work involved removing 53 loads of soil and placing 53 loads of hard materials. ‘With all the machinery and fencing they built, I’d say the job cost between £40,000 and £50,000,’ he said.
Travelers are an ethnic minority group and are protected under Equality legislation.
Warrington Council has been approached for comment.
