Enborne loses High Court bid to stop showman’s park expansion
150 residents supported the parish council’s challenge, which has now been rejected
Last updated 28th Jan 2026
The village of Enborne has lost its battle mode to stop the expansion of a showman’s caravan park.
The Government planning inspector has rejected the parish council appeal against West Berkshire Council’s decision to grant it.
Supported financially by more than 150 local residents, Enborne Parish Council made an application to the High Court for permission to bring a statutory planning review.
“We have been informed today (Tuesday) that our application has been refused by the High Court,” it said.
“The judgment does not consider the planning merits of the site allocation itself, but concludes that West Berkshire Council made no discernible error of law in adopting policy RSA29.”
Policy RSA29 is a site allocation policy in the West Berkshire Local Plan Review 2023-2041.
The site at Long Copse Farm aims to provide a residential and operational base for staff and families associated with Zippo’s Circus.
The allocation involves 24 plots for travelling showpeople, with the eastern part of the site having a dual use for circus headquarters and an agricultural holding.
The village held fundraisers to get more cash to take West Berkshire Council to court to prevent it.
The parish council claimed that hundreds of local people had asked it to challenge the planning policy “which would cause damage to our small rural community”.
In January 2024, Enborne Parish Council began work to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan.
“As part of our early research we identified proposals by West Berkshire Council to designate approximately 10 acres of land in the parish as a sort of caravan site/yard for travelling showpeople,” it said.
“Whilst many people are aware of Zippo’s Circus, the extent of the proposed development on agricultural fields to the north and west of the established yard would substantially change the character of the area and have a harmful impact on neighbours’ amenity, ecology, landscape character, local services and infrastructure.
“There is no proposal to limit or control the number of new residents on the site.
“For comparison, if the development was for conventional housing at a normal density of 30 dwellings per hectare, this comparative would increase to 180 new homes,” it said.
Zippo’s Circus founder Martin Burton said in 2015: “It’s my land to house my showmen.
“I own 50 acres in the Enborne Valley, the increase would take a little over 10 acres so it’s a small proportion.
“I believe that residents are concerned that they will get other travellers other than showmen on my site – I would not offer accommodation to anyone other than circus folk – the planning consent, if it comes will be specific to circus showmen.”
Hamstead Marshall Parish Council also objected.
It said: “The municipal and rural infrastructure of Enborne cannot support the proposed increase of the 24 additional temporary dwellings, which will have adverse consequences for the parishioners of the Enborne community and its current facilities, which are under pressure.”
Enborne Parish Council says West Berkshire Council – which will now decide the application’s fate – appears to be preparing its planning policy without due regard to planning law, citing ‘national’ and ‘strategic’ shortages rather than considering the reality on the ground in West Berkshire.
West Berkshire has a shortage of sites for gypsy/travellers.