A bid to add more pitches at a long-running Gypsy and Traveller site near Pathlow has been submitted to Stratford-on-Avon District Council, alongside a string of smaller planning applications across the district.
Stratford’s latest planning notices show an application to increase the number of caravans at Dunroaming Stables on Gospel Oak Lane, as well as plans ranging from a temporary home in Hampton Lucy to home extensions and outbuilding conversions in village conservation areas.
What has been proposed at Dunroaming Stables?
The main application affecting the Stratford area this week is 25/02149/FUL for Dunroaming Stables, Gospel Oak Lane, Pathlow, just north of Stratford-upon-Avon.
The plans seek permission for:
- Three additional static mobile homes
- Five additional touring caravans
- Demolition of the existing dayroom on the site
- Widening of the existing vehicle access
The proposal is described as “part retrospective”, which means some of the changes are already in place and are now seeking formal permission.
Dunroaming Stables is an existing authorised Gypsy and Traveller site. The application would effectively intensify its use by increasing the number of caravans allowed on the land.
What objectors may focus on
At this stage the council notice does not summarise any public comments for or against the plans. Local residents and organisations still have time to submit their views through the normal consultation process.
In similar applications, neighbours often raise concerns about:
- Traffic and access – especially on narrow rural lanes such as Gospel Oak Lane.
- Impact on nearby homes – including noise, activity on the site and overlooking.
- Drainage and services – whether more pitches can be supported without putting pressure on local infrastructure.
- Landscape and character – how an expanded site sits within the countryside setting.
Any formal objections will be set out in due course on the council’s online planning portal, where they will be considered alongside technical advice from highways, environmental health and other consultees.
What the applicant is seeking
According to the notice, the application is made on behalf of Mr Hughie Fury, who is asking the district council to allow more static and touring caravans within the existing site boundary and to regularise changes that have already taken place.
Gypsy and Traveller sites across the district form part of Stratford’s overall supply of housing land. National planning policy requires councils to plan for an appropriate number of pitches to meet identified need, in the same way they do for bricks-and-mortar housing.
The Dunroaming Stables application will be assessed against those planning policies alongside local rules on highway safety, design and residential amenity.
Other planning news this week
Alongside the traveller site application, the latest notices also include:
- Hampton Lucy – temporary home linked to new dwelling
A variation application (25/02502/VARY) for The Thatched House, Hampton Lucy, seeks to extend how long an existing garage can be lived in as a temporary dwelling while a new “paragraph 55” countryside home on the site is built. The scheme affects a public right of way. - Village and countryside extensions
Several applications affecting conservation areas and listed buildings are also in, including a single-storey side extension at Pinchester Cottages in Little Compton, an orangery at Exhall Court near Alcester, and alterations plus an air source heat pump at Hill Farm, Danzey Green. - Leisure and home projects
Proposals include a new building with three padel courts near Ashorne, conversion of outbuildings to a pottery studio and gym at The Old Vicarage in Claverdon, and a new garden room and replacement garage at The Old New House in Avon Dassett.
What happens next for local residents
All of these applications are now open for public comment through Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s planning portal. Residents, parish councils and other interested groups can support, object or simply highlight issues they think planners should look at.
For those living near Dunroaming Stables, the key questions will be whether the expanded site can operate safely and peacefully alongside neighbouring homes and roads. The council’s eventual decision will set the course for how that corner of Gospel Oak Lane evolves in the years ahead.
