A Gorsley planning application which has created strong feeling within the village will go before Forest of Dean District Council's planning committee on August 13th.

Application P1735/12/FUL proposes to change the use of agricultural/equestrian land to accommodate touring caravans, convert and alter existing stables/tack room to provide site office/stores, new toilets/shower block, chemical toilet, bin store and the use of an existing outbuilding on land adjacent to Hillside Cottage, Ross Road, Gorsley. The development would create facilities for up to 21 touring caravans.

At a meeting of the planning committee, on July 9th, it was decided a site visit was to be undertaken by planning officers and committee members. The visit, which took place on July 16th, would then help to inform a decision on the application on August 13th.

Gorsley &?Kilcot Parish Council has been fighting the proposal based on what it calls "significant road safety concerns" ­– despite Gloucestershire County Council's Highways Development team deeming access to the site "acceptable". While Highways' conditions were placed on the application, no objections were raised.

Gorsley &?Kilcot Parish Council Chair Amanda Reece said: "We have been addressing the volume and speed of traffic through the village, with various initiatives, for a long time.

"We were very, very surprised that Highways had no objections to it. The approach to the access is on the brow of a hill and it would be difficult to see caravans turning in.

"We have instructed a specialist planning lawyer who says the proposal is contrary to the Forest of Dean's own core strategy, but it's the safety which concerns us most. The Highways case has not been made sufficiently.

"We think it would create an accident hotspot in the heart of our parish, and we take our parishioners' concerns very seriously."

Transport Planning Associates, who wrote to Forest of Dean District Council on behalf of the Gorsley &?Kilcot Parish Council, in June, concluded that "there are sufficient safety issues associated with the proposal to justify a reason for refusal on highway grounds".

The Forest of Dean planning website also reveals the strength of feeling as many Gorsley parishioners have written to the Council to object or raise concerns about the premises on which the Highways team chose not to object to the application.

At the time of going to press the Ross Gazette had been unable to contact the applicant, Mr M Yates, or the agents working on his behalf, Paul Smith Associates, of Hereford, for comment.