PLANS to create a caravan site for four gypsy families have been refused by councillors.
The proposals were put forward after the families felt it was unsafe to live at The Beeches caravan park, Chipping Norton.
West Oxfordshire District Council’s (WODC) upland area planning sub-committee met on Monday to decide whether to change the use of land in Over Norton Road, also in Chipping Norton.
The site lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with councillors discussing that and the safety of the families.
WODC officer Kim Smith recommended the application be refused.
She said at the meeting: “The families previously lived on The Beeches caravan park until very recently, but due to overcrowding on the site, there is insufficient space for the family to grow, and for various other reasons, they consider it is no longer safe for the family to continue to reside on the site.