A gypsy site is to be allowed to double in size, despite strong protests from the local parish council.

Maidstone councillors have unanimously approved a retrospective application to allow four static caravans and four touring caravans on a plot to the west of Hawthorns near Pye Corner in Ulcombe.

The application site includes a patch of land already granted permission for two static and two mobile caravans back in 2017, and is effectively an extension of that site.

It also lies adjacent to Hawthorns, which is an allocated gypsy site in the council’s Local Plan for five caravans.

Several caravans are already on the application site and a wooden outhouse building has already been erected.

Cllr Alana Diamond, of Ulcombe Parish Council, urged that permission be refused, saying: “This doubles the permission for two mobile homes given in 2017.

“It is not an allocated site in the Local Plan."

“It is wrong to see this application in isolation.

“The postcode ME17 1EF has 11 houses, but 51 travellers’ caravans, which includes 27 mobile homes and 24 touring caravans.

“Caravans totally dominate this postcode.”

She argued that there was planning policy to support refusing applications if the cumulative effect was too great.

She said: “Adding to the 51 caravans already in the immediate vicinity is highly inappropriate”.

“Headcorn ward already has 1% of all traveller caravans in England.

“In March 2021, figures showed that Maidstone had exceeded its pitch target by 86 plots. There is no need for more pitches, especially in Ulcombe and Headcorn ward.”

Arguing that it was not a sustainable location, she said: “Ulcombe only has one bus once a week to Maidstone and there are none to Headcorn where all the nearest shops and services are.”

Planning officers had argued that the site was well screened by existing vegetation and would be largely hidden from public gaze, but Cllr Diamond said: “Screening is temporary, unlike the mobile homes.”

She said that as well as speaking for the parish council, she was also speaking for the residents.

She said: “Officers have said that no neighbours have objected, but this is because they are too intimidated and fearful to object in public.

“Residents have reported stone-throwing and abuse while driving done the track.

“The entrance track is also a public footpath, number KH 330, and this is practically a no-go zone for local walkers because of fear of intimidation.”

She said the application was contrary to policies protecting the amenity of neighbours.

She said: “It is inappropriate to say the houses are at reasonable distance (from the site) and that the loss of amenity is acceptable.”

The Headcorn ward councillor, Ziggy Trzebinksi (Con), was not at the meeting, but sent a message to say that he too was opposed to the application, not because it was gypsy site but because he opposed any further development in Headcorn until the straining social infrastructure had been improved.

Planning officers advised that at recent planning appeals, Government inspectors had been of the opinion that Maidstone council was not supplying enough gipsy and traveller sites to meet demand. Its current gypsy and travellers’ policy was 11 years out of date.

There would be benefits to granting permission, because conditions could be imposed that would improve the look of the site, including replacing the close-boarded fence along the site boundary with an open-aspect post and rail fence, and requiring landscaping, including the planting of 17 native fruit trees.

Cllr John Perry (Con) said: “Different criteria seem to be applied to certain sections of the population. A lot of my residents think the whole issue is unfair, but we are on a hiding to nothing if we refuse this.”

Cllr Clive English (Lib Dem) said: “There is a clearly a need for more gypsy and traveller sites. Should we refuse this application we will only lose at appeal.”

Cllr Lewis McKenna (Con) proposed the application be accepted, while castigating his colleagues, saying: “I think some comments made here tonight could be defamatory.”