GYPSIES have been granted temporary planning permission for eight plots, because the district council has not come up with a plan for them to move elsewhere.

The site at Holmsfield Nursery, on Meadgate Road, in Nazeing, accommodates 24 caravans.

Planning permission was previously rejected by the council because the site is near green belt land.

But following an appeal, the Government has granted permission for the gypsies to stay there for five years.

Epping Forest District Council reluctantly agreed the proposed compromise set out in the appeal because it has not yet managed to come up with a plan for other sites across the district.

The council is required to provide for more traveller sites but a council spokesman said this is still being worked on.

Planning and economic development portfolio holder Anne Grigg said: "I think our original decision to oppose the application for this site was correct given the circumstances at that time. However the situation has changed and it was necessary to look at it again."

An enforcement notice had been issued by the council after the gypsies developed the site without permission, but this has now been quashed.

However a report from the Government agreed the development will have a harmful impact on the green belt and is harmful to the landscape and the Lea Valley Regional Park.

It was decided these concerns could be managed by regular monitoring of the site.

The applicant has also agreed to conditions protecting the green areas of the site by carrying out landscaping and planting.

Gypsy Jo Connors, who lives on the site, said they are pleased with the decision but hopes permission is extended after the five years.

He added: "We want to make it permanent. When this five years is up we will have been there 12 years and we’re local residents. They can't just move us 20 or 30 miles down the road. Imagine how you would feel if someone did that to you.

“We will have to wait and see what happens but we just want a place we can call home. It would make sense for the council to leave us where we are."

Lower Nazeing district councillor Richard Bassett said: "We did have enforcement action to get them to leave but the other people who objected to their application withdrew their objections, and because the Government is reluctant to push the travelling community onto the road unless they have somewhere to go, we were put in one of those positions where we couldn't win.”

He added: “We came up with the best deal we could and had lots of conditions put it. If they breach any of those we can take enforcement action to remove them."