A CONTROVERSIAL caravan park in Colne, the subject of several planning wrangles during the past 17 years, could be allowed permission to keep 15 vehicles on site.

Prospect Farm, off Lenches Road, gained retrospective planning permission for up to 11 caravans in September 1992 after an enforcement issue was issued by the council and upheld on appeal.

The land was previously used as allotments but now houses 18 caravans, some double units.

Owner Michael Fairless has applied to keep 15 caravans to regularise the site and obtain a Caravan Site Licence.

On a site visit, council offers noted that there were 20 static caravans but four were properly joined to create a twin unit.

Some of the other caravans were close to each other but not properly joined so did not qualify as a twin unit mobile home.

Mr Fairless said he would ask his tenants to properly join the caravans which would take the number to 15 and comply with licence requirements, which stipulate distance between caravans.

In a report to the Colne and District Committee, principal planning officer Janet Filbin said: "There has already been a loss of openness of the countryside and valley hills from the formation of the caravan site.

"The caravans are generally well spaced within a large site of approximately two hectares and the main issue is the overall impact of the additional caravans on the countryside.

"Given that this is an existing site, well screened from its surroundings due to many trees on the site, an additional three mobile home bases would not be particularly discernible and have minimal impact on the openness of the countryside.

"It is imperative, however, to harness some planning control to ensure that it does not develop further in the future like it has done to date."

One letter of objection has been received from residents of the Woolpack Cottages who referred to the site as a 'shanty town'. But the committee, who will discuss the application tonight, have been recommended to approve it.