THE number of gypsies and travellers is approaching the number of homeowners in a tiny Buckinghamshire hamlet, a concerned resident told a council chief.

Councillor Terry Mackintosh said plans would put about 80 residents in Marsh, near Aylesbury, compared to 110 settled residents.

He blasted Wycombe District Council for approving two caravans - but a boss said rules were different for gypsies and travellers.

Cllr Mackintosh, chairman of Great and Little Kimble cum Marsh Parish Council, said there is ‘real and genuine concern’ over travellers.

He said laws that protect communities in ‘this very unique rural part of Buckinghamshire have been totally ignored’.

The approval last month for the site at The Willows showed ‘disregard’ for the parish council’s concerns and ‘contempt’ for Cllr Pam Priestly, WDC member for the area.

Cllr Mackintosh said there are five established sites in a one mile radius with more than 20 caravan pitches and ‘several more’ on the Aylesbury border.

With plans for more pitches this would give an ‘estimated population of 80, against a settle community of approximately 110’.

This was contrary to Government guidelines that sites should not ‘dominate’ homes, he said.

Councillor Jean Teesdale said it was a ‘challenging issue’ but said gypsies and travellers were treated differently under to national planning rules.

She said: “Permission can be given for gypsy sites where ordinary housing would not be permissible.”

‘Careful consideration’ was given to the area, she said, and it ‘neither accurate or fair to suggest that the councillors and parish councils’ comments have been ignored’.

Yet Cllr Mackintosh said the gypsies and travellers ‘show no respect for the settled community whatsoever’ and demanded ‘urgent assurance’ that there would be no more.

Cllr Teesdale said the council will ‘monitor the situation in the Marsh and all our areas and continue to look at it and see what can be done’.

The authority caused controversy when it moved to change its policies to make it easier for planning applications to succeed at sites throughout the district.

Pitches at Dry Banks in Oxford Road, Stokenchurch and Five Oaks Farm in Studley Green were approved.

The council said the Government has demanded all councils make such plans.

Click the link below for our stories on the controversy.