MARTIN Clunes’ attempts to stop a traveller site being built near to his Dorset home have been dismissed in a fresh blow for the actor.
Over the last three years, the Doc Martin star and other objectors, have tried to prevent their hippie neighbours from setting up a permanent camp.
In the most recent objection to the controversial planning application, Martin argued that the proposed woodland encampment is at risk of flooding and therefore is not an appropriate location.
However, a consultation commissioned by the applicants’ planning agents has concluded that the development site is safe from surface water flooding for the next 100 years.
The travellers, Theo Langton and Ruth McGill who currently live in a 45ft by 16ft static caravan, had experts carry out a flood risk assessment on the land.
The report states: “The proposed development is not located in an area considered to be at risk of flooding.
“It is concluded that the development will be safe for its lifetime.”
The report has been accepted by Dorset Council’s Flood Risk Management Team who have no objections to the proposed development.
The New Age Travellers have lived at the Meerhay site in Beaminster, Dorset since 2003, just 300 yards from Martin’s £5m farmhouse.
The TV star bought his 130-acre home from Theo’s mother, Georgia Langton, in 2007.
In 2022, Theo and Ruth applied for permission to make their caravan site permanent and expand it so their family and friends could visit.
The couple currently live ‘off-grid’ without running water or electricity and use a compost toilet.
This controversial plan has been pushed back on by Martin who hired a top planning barrister to fight the case which has so far deferred the plan’s decision.
Previously, the Men behaving Badly star tried to argue that under planning laws Theo and Ruth didn’t qualify as travellers so weren’t able to apply for permanent camp.
Legally, travellers are required to leave their main base to travel for their livelihood.
But this was dismissed when the pair argued that during the summer they travel around the country to various fairs and festivals to sell their hand made products.
Martin called his traveller neighbours “cynical” and “dishonest”.
He faced another blow after the actor’s claim that the site would ruin the local landscape, which is protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), was dismissed.
For now, the future of the proposed permanent encampment will be decided on in the future through a vote in the council’s planning committee.
But to Martin’s dismay, council planning officers have expressed positivity towards the planning application after stating a need for more permanent traveller sites in Dorset.
Plus, several letters supporting Theo and Ruth’s plans have been sent to the council.
Betty Smith-Billington, chair of the Dorset-based Gypsy and Traveller charity Kushti Bok said: “The main objector [Martin] bought his property knowing that this family already occupied the land for residential use.
“The couple are classed as Travellers for planning purposes as per government ruling, they regularly go travelling for work, as they have always done for many years.
“I can see no reason why they should not be able to carry on living on the land which is causing NO problem to anyone.”
Other neighbours are less convinced.
Dinah Clarke, who lives nearby at Meerhay Manor, said: “Many people in Dorset would love to develop their own land to accommodate their own families but come up against strict planning permission especially in AONBs.
“Mr Langton has questionable New Age Traveller status and should therefore be subject to the same planning rules as anyone else seeking to develop their own land.”
A local villager, Richard Fodder, echoed this sentiment: “This proposal is generally inappropriate for an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”
