A COALPIT Heath land owner who has been refused planning permission on Green Belt land plans to sell his plot so Irish travellers can set up camp.

Drafus Young feels he is being pushed into the move because South Gloucestershire Council opposed his application to build affordable housing on the one-acre site opposite Bitterwell Lake.

Mr Young, who jointly owns the land with his two brothers and sister, told the Gazette: "The council seemed content to see travellers set up camp."

He claimed the travellers had offered "tens of thousands of pounds" for the land.

"If South Gloucestershire do not give us planning permission I will appeal and if they still don't listen then we will seriously consider the offer from the travellers. I know it will cause uproar but for that amount of money it will be difficult to refuse."

Mr Young alleges the dilemma has been worsened because of the unfairness of the situation.

The retired mechanic, who has lived in the village all his life, claims there are houses either side of his plot despite it being a Green Belt site.

He said: "The council should play on a level field and they are not. There seems no reason why I cannot put houses on the land despite it being a Green Belt site because there is already a development about 200 yards from where I want to build. It would just be an infill really."

However, South Gloucestershire Council told the Gazette that Mr Young's claims were unfounded.

A spokesman for the council said: "The council has made absolutely no suggestions to Mr Young with regards to selling his land.

"The council has strong guidelines for building aimed at protecting the Green Belt. This planning application was rejected because it would have gone against those guidelines.

"The owner also needs to clearly demonstrate why a development should be allowed on this land, which Mr Young has failed to do.

"Other developments in the area which were carried out in the Green Belt are likely to have been granted because there was already a development on the site."

Yet, the pensioner claims a new housing development would be of a benefit to villagers.