THE appeal hearing into a council's refusal of planning permission for a travellers' site will start next month.

In June 2019 Hyndburn Council's planning committee voted to refuse permission for James Smith and his family to set up the camp on land at Smithacres off Back Lane in Baxenden.

He was ordered to remove the development.

Mr Smith appealed the decision in July last year.

The site is on protected Green Belt countryside land.

Now it has been announced that government planning inspector Elizabeth Ord will hold an inquiry into the decision in The Council Chamber of Accrington Town Hall starting at 10am on October 12.

Part retrospective planning permission had been sought by Mr Smith for the change of use of the land to create a family caravan site to provide accommodation for four families.

He and his family moved onto the site in December 2018 and have occupied three pitches, with a larger touring caravan currently in place of the originally proposed static caravan/chalet.

As part of a consultation, 269 letters of objection were received by the council, as well as 12 letters of support for the application.

The site is on protected Green Belt countryside land.

Officers told the committee in June 2019 that the considerations in favour of development did not clearly outweigh the harm to the green belt.