A family has won its appeal to keep their Gypsy and Traveller homes in Histon.

South Cambridgeshire District Council initially refused the application for four Gypsy and Traveller pitches at Moor Drove in Histon.

Each pitch was proposed to include four mobile homes, four touring caravans, and the installation of four cesspits.

The Moor Drove site was described as being “well established” with existing authorised pitches and having an “overall positive family dynamic”.

While the planning inspector said the four pitches in the current application would harm the rural landscape, they decided the lack of other sites, and the personal circumstances, of the family outweighed this.

The planning inspector noted in their report that the appellant and his extended family were already living at the site, which also included around 20 approved caravan pitches, and a “large number” of unauthorised caravans.

The inspector said they would not consider the cumulative effects of the unauthorised pitches as they had “no certainty that permission would be forthcoming for them in any event”.

The planning inspector also highlighted that during a visit to the site they saw neighbouring land, also owned by the appellant, was being used for storage of “waste metals”, which planning permission had not been granted for.

The inspector said in their report that the plans would have a “substantially adverse effect on openness” in the green belt, which they said conflicted with district council policies.

The report said: “The proposals would result in harm to the rural character and appearance of the generally flat open area of countryside through an intensive form of urbanisation.

“These effects would be exacerbated by the now denuded quality of the land to the west; resulting in an abrupt transition between the urban and cluttered appearance of the site and adjoining land.

“Having regard to the sizable site size, the relatively well contained nature of the landscape, the number of caravans proposed, extent of hardstanding and amount of paraphernalia would result in considerable harm.”

However, the planning inspector said they were “very special circumstances” that outweighed this harm and justified keeping the pitches.

The report said the district council had admitted that it could not demonstrate a five year supply of deliverable sites for Gypsy and Travellers in the area.

It added that the authority had said its own sites, which offer 32 pitches, had long waiting lists and “very low turnover”, with around 40 to 50 applications made per pitch. The report said there were also “overcrowding” issues at the district council sites.

The inspector said they believed the level of unmet need in the area appeared to be “substantial”.

They also highlighted the family’s personal circumstances and the benefits to them of being able to live as extended family at the site.

The report said: “There would be advantages for the general well being of the extended family by having a settled base and being able to provide a stable home and access to basic amenities and a range of local services, including schooling. This would be in the best interests of the nine children.

“While similar benefits might be achieved on another settled site, no suitable alternative sites have been identified.

“Whilst a roadside existence does not preclude all access to education and health services, it is likely that a prolonged absence of a settled site would lead to serious disruption to access to education, health and other services for these children, without any certainty of suitable alternative accommodation becoming available.”