PLANS by a member of a travelling family to provide homes for his relatives have been rejected.

On March 9, Denbighshire County Council’s planning committee turned down an application by Phillip Purcell for six static caravans on land behind his own home off Vale Road, Rhyl, going against the recommendation of officers.

Mr Purcell, who has lived with his wife and elderly mother in Kynsal House since 2019, said he needs the extra accommodation for his six adult children and their families.

But residents of nearby Knowsley Avenue say the development is not needed, that it will lead to an increase in the amount of anti-social behaviour and disturbance they are already experiencing and that a reference to an “owner/manager” in the application implies that it could become a transient site.

Ward member Cllr Peter Prendergast said the application was partly retrospective as there were already two static caravans on the site, and that hedges and shrubbery have been torn up without permission.

Since 2019, he said neighbours had had to put up with noise and other nuisances from the site.

Rhyl Town Council was also against the scheme, arguing that it is over-intensification, but stressed that their concerns relate to the site and not to the applicants.

Development manager Paul Mead told the committee that the police, highways officials and council’s public protection officer had no objections.

The officers also agreed with Mr Purcell’s argument that the development will help the county council meet its legal obligation to provide traveller sites.

The application was refused by 13 votes to two, the reasons given being over-intensification of the development, unacceptable impact on the neighbours and safety concerns on Vale Road.

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