Burnham-On-Sea Big Issue seller Colin Johnstone could be forced to move out of his caravan because of a row over planning permission.
The 59 year-old’s plight has caught the attention of the national press after appearing in the News Of The World on Sunday (Feb 4th), as pictured below.
It comes after Sedgemoor District Council demanded that the owner of the garden where Colin’s caravan is sited must apply for planning permission.
The garden’s owner, Sylvia Sparkes of Steart Avenue, told the Weston and Somerset Mercury: “I took Colin in last September. The winter months were coming and I hated the thought of him being out in the cold. He’s a very tidy person and never leaves rubbish out. He volunteered to help out at Burnham Carnival and helps lots of people in the community. It just seems like he is being victimised.”
Sedgemoor’s Planning Control Manager Christine Miles told the paper: “If a caravan parked on someone’s property starts to be used independently from the main house, then planning permission is needed to change the use of the land.”
“If someone sleeps in the caravan but uses the house to wash and cook, permission isn’t needed. But if it is a seperate dwelling, the owners need to apply to the council.”
Sylvia now has two weeks to complete a planning application form and return it to the council.
Meanwhile, Colin – who is a member of Burnham’s Chamber of Trade – faces a nervous wait as he could lose the caravan if permission is not granted. He told Burnham-On-Sea.com on Sunday: “It is a worrying time.”
