A traveller family looking to build a caravan site in Bovingdon have resubmitted an application for a fourth time.

The Cash family was twice refused permission to build a new caravan site – with a total of 16 pitches and eight utility blocks for eight gypsy families – on land next to the Bobsleigh Hotel in Hempstead Road.

Planners rejected the plans on green belt grounds.

The third application was incorrectly submitted and the latest plans have received 1,000 letters of objection, according to Brad Gunn, chairman of Bovingdon Action Group.

The group was set up two years ago to campaign for the protection of green belt sites in the village.

The owner of the land for the proposed site is John Cash – information that was incorrect on the third application submitted in June.

The land would house eight families.

Mr Gunn said: “Nothing has changed with this application since the last time, so we don’t know why it has even been resubmitted.

“It is on green belt land and the policy is very clear and a caravan site would be highly inappropriate.”

A letter submitted to Dacorum Borough Council’s planning team for the last application, by chartered town planners and development consultants, Philip Brown, listed a number of concerns that Cash family were currently facing, which is why they needed a permanent place to live.

They wrote: “It is quite clear that most of the families involved are vulnerable for reasons of their age or health, and all are in need of a settled base in order to provide access to specialist health care and access to schooling and respite from roadside travelling.”

Mr Gunn added: “It can’t go ahead and be built on green belt land, so it should be straight forward and be refused by councillors.

“Councillors were clear before when they said no to their previous application, but we will have to see what happens – I don’t think it should be a problem.”