A gypsy site in Leatherhead could become permanent after a council report concluded that there were no suitable alternative sites.

Four gypsy and traveller caravan pitches at River Lane, Leatherhead, were granted temporary planning permission by Mole Valley District Council until May 2011 but residents could now apply for an indefinite extension.

Strategic planning portfolio holder, Clare Curran, said: “I can understand that there will be those who will be disappointed by the report’s conclusion and are aggrieved at the way that this caravan site has come about, especially as it has been recognised by a Planning Inspector as inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

“The council has little room to manoeuvre and is constrained by the conclusions of the Planning Inspector who granted temporary planning permission for the site and the lack of suitable available alternative sites. We also have to recognise the interests of the families on the site and those of the surrounding communities and the council has to be mindful of the financial implications of its decisions and minimise their impact on council tax payers.”

They examined the suitability and availability of 41 sites in the north of the district as alternative locations for the four pitches at River Lane, of which none in the built up areas were deemed suitable.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Margaret Cooksey said: “It’s a very difficult and long-standing issue. There are some people that oppose the site and others that agree.

“Many of the travellers are settled into schools in the area, and are very settled into the site, and I think many residents appreciate this.”