TRAVELLERS have won the right to stay in Newent after winning their latest appeal in a long-running battle.

It means they have been granted permanent planning permission for 13 family pitches on Southend Lane, Newent.

Sam Lee, a traveller from the site, said: "We are very grateful for the decision from the inspector as now we have somewhere to live."

However, the news was not met with the same enthusiasm by some local residents.

Professor Ray Hodgson, co-chairman of Newent RAID (Residents Against Inappropriate Development) said: "Basically this field has been considered unsuitable by the District Council's Planning Development Committee and now an inspector has come in from Bristol and overturned it."

"We think this is ridiculous and very unfair. We're not against gipsies themselves but we are against the planning procedure."

For the full story read The Forester.