A PLANNING inquiry has been hald into the conversion of a barn into a house on a travellers' site.

The inquiry heard the barn had been the home of Paul Lawton, 69, who had been taken in by the traveller community and worked for them.

Mr Lawton had lived in the barn in Cranfield Park Avenue, Wickford, since 1992, despite it having an outside toilet and no hot water.

The details emerged at the planning inquiry at the Basildon Centre, where Mr Lawton’s traveller landlord Elvey Upton was appealing for permission to convert the barn into a two-storey house.

In evidence against the appeal, Martin Kearney, the council’s principal planning officer, said the barn was of “poor construction” and “barely habitable”.

Mrs Upton and husband David Cooper are appealing against a council enforcement notice to demolish the property. Mrs Upton said she had cared for Mr Lawton for 38 years and argued the council’s action had rendered him homeless.

She said: “I have always cared for Paul and made sure he is safe. I do most of his shopping and ensure he has meals and care for him generally.”

She said although he had lived there for 18 years, it was only last year the family realised Mr Lawton’s accommodation was not up to scratch and needed upgrading.

Mr Lawton lived in the barn without planning permission until 2001 when a planning inspector granted him permission to stay there on humanitarian grounds, because he had nowhere else to live.

A planning inspector will make a decision in the coming weeks.