Approval has been given for a traveller caravan site that has already been built on green belt land with temporary permission.

Bucks Council has approved a permanent site on West Hyde Lane in Chalfont St Peter, which has four pitches in place.

Previously, in May 2024, temporary approval was granted for the land's change of use to a traveller caravan site with four pitches and "associate development".

A council planning officer described the area.

Their report stated: "The application site is located on the northern side of West Hyde Lane which is located on the eastern side of Chalfont St Peter.

"It is situated within the Green Belt and within Colne Valley Park.

"It is also located within the area covered by Chalfont St Peter Neighbourhood Plan.

"To the north of the site are two dwellings and woodland, to the east is Pipwood Kennels and Cattery (now vacant), and to the west is Robertswood School"

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The four pitches contain a mobile home, a touring caravan, and "associated development".

Additional day rooms are set to be built.

Chalfont St Peter Parish Council had requested that the planning application be 'called in' for discussion at the Bucks East Area Planning Committee.

This did not occur, and a planning officer stated that this was due to the council not providing 'material reasons'.

On July 8 2025, the parish council stated that the pitches were "being advertised on social media for rent" and said that there is "no reason" to make the site permanent.

A Bucks Council planning officer concluded: "Since the previous, temporary, permission was granted for 4 pitches on this site, there has been two significant changes in planning policy.

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"First, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was updated (December 2024) to include a new exception to inappropriate development; and second, the Council has produced a new Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) (July 2025) which identifies a significant need for Gypsy and Travellers pitches across the County from 2025 - 2045.

"The revisions to the NPPF mean that the development is no longer inappropriate in the Green Belt and therefore there is no longer a requirement for the applicant to demonstrate very special circumstances.

"The additional day rooms will be viewed within the context of the existing mobile homes and touring caravans and given the overwhelming need identified in the GTAA, any moderate harm to the character of the area would be outweighed by this benefit."

Bucks Council approved the plan on February 4 2026.