Thumbs up for Light and Life church as Kent Gypsy family win neighbours' praise
Above: plans for a new Gypsy church at the site of a former football club in Leicestershire have been approved.
- New Gypsy church in Eyres Monsell gets the go-ahead
- Kent Gypsy family praised by neighbours for tidying up area
- Epsom Council decides not to publish list of possible sites
- Plans for two new sites in Dorset submitted
PLANS to turn a former football clubhouse into a new Gypsy church have won council approval in Leicestershire.
There were over 1,000 objections from locals, but the new church was still given the go-ahead. Pastor Jackie Boyd of the Light and Life Church said "We've been meeting in Leicester for 20 years and nobody has complained."
"Now we will be able to hold services and Bible studies without disruption," he said.
Further south, in Surrey, Epsom Council has declined to publish a list of possible new sites after the location of a possible site at Hook Road Arena was leaked last week.
Meanwhile in Kent, a local Gypsy family won praise from neigbours for improving the local area and cleaning up what was once a rat-infested site.
A neigbour of the Vine family told how they had significantly tidied up the site in Higham and asked the council to grant planning permission.
The leader of Gravesham Council, John Burden, said it was "refreshing" to hear neighbours support a planning application by Gypsies who had helped improve the locality.
One councillor spoke out about the need to protect the greenbelt, but Mr Burden replied: "I'm minded to ignore everything you've said and approve the application." Planning permission was later granted unanimously.
On the South coast, in Dorset, plans have been submitted for two new temporary sites in Poole and Weymouth.
A site at Oakdale, Poole, would have four pitches, with a much larger 25 pitch site planned for Piddlehinton, Weymouth.
But Jacqui Cuff, a Piddle Valley councillor, said she was worried about "anonymous horses" if the Piddlehinton site was approved.