COMMENT: Rangeworthy campaigners should have no regrets despite disappointment (From Gazette Series)

COMMENT: Tanhouse Lane travellers' site campaign in Rangeworthy was worth the fight

10:00am Thursday 14th March 2013 in News By Alexandra Womack

THE overwhelming sentiment coming from Rangeworthy residents this week is disappointment. And who can blame their despondency.

Being lumbered with one medium-sized travellers’ site, which will drastically increase the size of your village’s small population, is bad enough for many people. But to then learn a second, ‘super site’ is being recommended by your local authority a mere stone’s throw away is almost inconceivable.

However, that was not the end of the sorry saga for put-upon villagers. Two years ago councillors overturned their own officers’ recommendation to approve the 14-pitch site on Tanhouse Lane and residents dared breathe a sigh of relief at having staved off the larger of the two sites.

But their elation was short-lived, as the council’s decision was taken to appeal and has finally, after four years of uncertainty and angst, been given the go ahead.

Those protestors who fought the proposal so vigorously and passionately understandably feel it was all for nothing. That they may as well have just accepted it from the beginning and not wasted their time and energy at numerous meetings, writing countless letters of objection and leafleting the entire neighbourhood.

But we all know their efforts were worth it. If they hadn’t tried they would not be able to justify their complaints now but more importantly, those Rangeworthy residents taught us all if you believe in something enough it is always worth the battle. Even if you lose the war.