By David GreenVILLAGERS have voiced fears that local meadow could become the site of another illegal travellers' encampment.As controversy rages over illegal sites in Elmswell, near Bury St Edmunds and Denton, near Harleston, the fears of Horham residents have been sparked by the siting of a mobile home on a recently-sold meadow.

By David Green

VILLAGERS have voiced fears that local meadow could become the site of another illegal travellers' encampment.

As controversy rages over illegal sites in Elmswell, near Bury St Edmunds and Denton, near Harleston, the fears of Horham residents have been sparked by the siting of a mobile home on a recently-sold meadow.

Amid reports that travellers had inquired about land sales in the area, Horham residents were worried that further mobile homes could eventually appear on the 3.5-acre site.

One villager, who asked not to be identified, said: “It is happening all over the place. One mobile home appears and it is followed by others and before you know it several families have moved in. They don't seem to have to observe planning laws.”

Two residents have already collected a petition containing 50 signatures opposing the granting of retrospective planning permission for the mobile home.

The petition, sent to Mid Suffolk District Council, claimed that “divisions” were in place on the meadow and added these were assumed to be sites for further dwellings.

The gate to the meadow was padlocked yesterday and the East Anglian Daily Times was unable to speak to the two mobile home occupants, neither of whom are thought to be travellers.

There was no sign of any “divisions” on the land other than a post and rail fence around part of the site, enclosing the mobile home and the access, and taped fencing around a horse paddock.

District council spokeswoman, Sally Easton, said time was being given to allow the occupants to put forward a claimed case for an agricultural need for the mobile home.

The application for retrospective planning permission was unlikely to go to the council's area development control committee before January, she added.

david.green@eadt.co.uk