An applicant has lost an appeal after they built an unauthorised wall at a traveller site.

Hertsmere Borough Council received a complaint in April 2017 which claimed that a front boundary wall and piers had been erected on green belt land in Woodlands Yard, Shenleybury, without planning permission.

When enforcement officers visited the site, they found the walls did require planning permission but an application would likely be rejected as it was considered to be “inappropriate development” on green belt land.

Warning letters were subsequently sent out to the owners by the council advising they remove the walks or risk enforcement action. But the warnings were ignored, the council says, and an enforcement notice was served on August 4 2017.

An appeal was made against the enforcement notice and as part of the appeal, an application was made to the Secretary of State that permission for the development is granted.

But the planning inspector dealing with the appeal assessed the planning merit of the development and concluded that the application should be refused and therefore dismissed the appeal and upheld the notice.

The owners now have three months to comply with the enforcement notice. The appeal decision was made on October 2 this year.

The appeal conclusion states that the development results in a reduction in openness of the area and harms the character and appearance of the area. There were no special circumstances to allow the development.

A proposal to increase the same traveller site in Shenley to six caravans was knocked back at the beginning of this year. There is currently permission for two caravans.