Plans to expand a South Derbyshire traveller site have been rejected by councillors, who cited fears over visual intrusion and the potential pollution of the River Mease.

There are currently two families staying on the plot off Acresford Road between Netherseal and Acresford, close to The Cricketts Inn.

Among the families are a number of children and a newborn baby, with another baby due in the next couple of months.

Officers said that the welfare of the family was a significant reason why they had urged approving the site's retrospective expansion from one pitch to two.

However, councillors said that the site's expansion without permission on what was originally approved was not to be allowed and that the visual impact of the plot could no longer be mitigated.

They also felt strongly that the risk of pollution to the River Mease, 700 metres away, and one of its tributaries, 20 metres away, was too high – particularly with a number of large caravans being housed on the site.

On Tuesday (February 25) councillors refused the plans, against the recommendations of advising officers.

One of the two families on the site must now move and will effectively be made homeless.

If the family registers itself as homeless under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the council will have a legal duty to find them a permanent home.

Cllr Amy Wheelton said during the meeting that she had witnessed pollution from fuel on the site, which she feared would slowly make its way into the protected river network.

She was concerned that these environmental impacts had not been reported or prevented and she was not convinced they could be sufficiently mitigated.

Tony Sylvester, the council's head of planning, said that Cllr Wheelton had "no technical evidence to back up your view".

Fellow district councillor Dan Pegg has previously alleged that the council is "scared" to tell the travellers what to do and issue enforcement notices when they should be served.

The application for the expansion was filed by B and E McDonagh.

It had detailed that "the applicants have experienced tragic circumstances at a previous site where a child was injured and wish to avoid any recurrence".

Also documented was the need of the families for a permanent base to support their childrens' health and education requirements.

In total, 60 residents objected to the application and more than two dozen came to last night's committee meeting to hear the debate.

Two of the council's environmental health officers, who are in charge of monitoring anti-social behaviour, also attended the meeting – believed to be a first for the authority.

Council officers said that the district has a responsibility to provide 21 traveller plots up to 2024, and it currently has a shortfall of one.

The authority must also supply a rolling stock of around seven pitches over the next five years, of which it has none.

In October 2018, the council rejected plans for a traveller site on the outskirts of Aston for six families.

This was appealed and a year later, in October 2019, the plans were overturned and approved by the Planning Inspectorate.

Council officers say that traveller sites must be "affordable, acceptable and sustainable" and the district currently does not have any pitches that match this that the families in question could be moved to.

This, they said, should give significant weight to the application being approved.

Cllr Wheelton said: "What I saw on the site visit today shocked me.

"This is largely due to the potential pollutant source and the river – the pathway to the river has been breached and there aren't measures in place to prevent surface water reaching the river.

"I have a few issues based on what I have read and I'm afraid that I do feel that it is intrusive and a number of the objectors agree with me."

Council officers said that the site and a pathway from it to the river, both of which are in the ownership of the travellers, can be adequately broken and a series of measures have been approved by Natural England, which does not object to the plan, along with the Environment Agency.

Officers said that all foul drainage has been considered but they could detail explicitly that petrol and oil must be prevented from leaking from the site, if the application was approved.

Cllr Peter Watson said: "Drainage should be considered as part of the occupation of any site and I am concerned that we are considering approving a scheme that does not adequately mitigate surface water run-off.

"Anything on the site will reach the River Mease through general filtration and I am very unhappy about that.

"There is also no need to increase this site or any other at all."

Cllr Trevor Southerd said: "It appears we are in a state of flux here. The site is in a beautiful part of South Derbyshire.

"The site is now more than three times in terms of land take on what we approved and it would be more difficult to obscure from homes."

Cllr David Angliss said that he had "total respect" for the family and that it was "imperative that we fulfil our duty to uphold human rights and in particular when children are involved".

He said: "However, South Derbyshire surely cannot be held liable for their situation, I feel the family have put themselves in this situation."

Alan Yarwood, agent for the applicant, said: "This site is not currently as we would like it to be, that is not the applicant's fault but it is due to its previous history. The applicant is eager to sort it out.

"Wherever you find sites for travellers there will be opposition, but better to approve an extension to this site than to look elsewhere for a new one.

"All authorities find it difficult to meet their five-year supply for travellers.

"With no five-year supply it would be difficult to resist this."