FRUSTRATED residents claim their lives are being ruined by their traveller neighbour.
Neighbours of Ronald Jones say they hate what they say he’s done to a two-acre plot of land in Llechryd, South Wales.
Ronald Jones is said to have put up a static home, four caravans and a temporary building on his landCredit: WNS
John Hughes said it’s been a ‘living nightmare’ since Mr Jones arrivedCredit: WNS
A static home, four caravans and a temporary building allegedly used as a cafe sit on the land.
Neighbour John Hughes, 74, says his life has been a “living nightmare” since Mr Jones moved in.
Mr Hughes said: “He’s a p*** taker. Within weeks of buying the land he’d made his own access to the site by ploughing a hole through the bank at the side of the road and started laying down hard core and cement to put the caravans and static on.
“Then he put a temporary building at the entrance and ran it as an ice cream parlour… within weeks he reopened it as a cafe.
“Everyone in the community wants him out but he’s staying there, playing the planning system and claiming he has rights because he’s a traveller.”
Mr Jones’ initial application for planning permission to use the site for five traveller pitches, five mobile homes, and five touring and hardstanding caravans, was turned down by Caerphilly councillors in December 2019.
Residents and business owners had opposed the application.
Local councillor Carl Cuss said: “He’s basically developed the site without planning and even when he was refused planning, he’s still doing stuff on the land, so it’s angering residents even more.”
Mr Cuss said Mr Jones was using the temporary building as a cafe until the council ordered him to close it.
He said the business posed a risk to drivers.
“It distracts people driving when you’re driving past,” he said. “It just doesn’t seem suitable.”
Mr Jones has now appealed against the refusal to allow planning to the Welsh Government, who originally sold him the land. A decision is due in March this year.
But Mr Cuss said: “The site has caused a lot of headache for people surrounding it. The community was quite strong on the fact that it shouldn’t be there.
“It’s nothing to do fact he’s a traveller. It’s about the fact that he’s developed that site without any permission whatsoever.
“I think, what’s angered residents more is the fact, how long it’s taken from when the decision was made by the council to refuse.”
Mr Cuss said the delay had been prolonged by the pandemic but he fears that if the Welsh Government also reject his application, Mr Jones may still refuse to leave the site.
A Caerphilly County Borough Council spokesman told The Sun: “The site is occupied as a traveller site and the occupier subsequently established a takeaway kiosk at the entrance.
“Both were carried out without planning permission and retrospective planning applications were submitted and subsequently refused by the Local Planning Authority.
“Both applications are subject to an appeal and are before Planning Environment Decisions Wales.”
The Sun has contacted Mr Jones for comment.
It’s said Mr Jones was using a temporary building as a cafe until the council ordered him to close itCredit: WNS
Locals say they are fed up with Mr JonesCredit: WNS