PLANS have been submitted so that land in Scotby can be used as an eight-pitch Gypsy and traveller site.

The retrospective planning application is for a site on land to the south of Thistle Stables in Broomfallen Road.

According to the planning application, each pitch would accommodate two caravans and there would also be a day room.

There would also be boundary fencing and gravel surfacing with access from Broomfallen Road. The site, which is also known as Washbeck Paddock, covers an area of 0.6 hectares.

The day room would be built using local bricks with a tiled roof and Upvc windows and doors with a total of 16 parking spaces.

According to a design and access statement, the land itself is bonded by the southbound lanes of the M6 motorway to the south east, the Thistle Stables development to the north east, other partly developed Gypsy and traveller pitches to the west and north west, along with open land to the north east.

It states: "Access to and from the site is taken via an access road that meets the adopted highway at its junction with Broomfallen Road, Scotby, where dwelling houses are located to either side of the junction (49 and 51 Broomfallen Road).

"It is noteworthy that 51 Broomfallen Road and at least 25 other new dwelling have been erected in this part of the borough since 2015 as part of a local plan allocated site overall, and given the site's proximity to Scotby, local services, the highway network and to public transportation routes, the site can be described as being located in a sustainable location."

According to the document the application site and surrounding land is allocated as denoted as Open Countryside in the Carlisle District Local Plan to 2030. It adds: "Furthermore, the application site is not affected by other planning constraints such as the green belt, protected tree or heritage assets.

"In addition, the application site is located in Flood Zone 1 for purposes attached to the consideration of this planning application.

"In addition, we also understand that the defective nutrient neutrality laws are removed from August 29 meaning that the nutrient neutrality constraints layer on the Local Plan Proposals Map is redundant."

According to the statement the applicant and his family are Gypsies/travellers "through their cultural heritage".

The application is currently being considered by Cumberland Council planning officers.