AN animal sanctuary in Grittenham is concerned it may face closure if a traveller pitch is allowed in the field next door to where its animals have found safety.

Old Farm Animal Sanctuary, which has been in Grittenham for 39 years and cares for dogs and wild animals, has fought numerous planning applications to build near to their sanctuary, over fears that if they were to have neighbours, they would then complain about the amount of noise coming from the animals who already live there.

Now a planning application has been submitted for land south of Old Farm to become a traveller pitch with a mobile home, a touring caravan, a day room and hardstanding.

Staff at the sanctuary posted the application on their Facebook page, asking their customers to help their fight, and it has since received hundreds of objections.

They have also received criticism from people arguing that they are against travellers. Denise Barrett, who runs the sanctuary, said that was not the case and that they object to plans for any type of dwelling so close to the sanctuary.

She has tried to buy the field next door to prevent future developments but failed.

The 70-year-old said: “We bought the house 39 years ago as it was a suitable place for an animal sanctuary with barking dogs and lots of wildlife.

“There are always people coming and going at all different hours of the night and it was an ideal site as there were no neighbours.

“We objected to plans for across the road and this is no different, it is nothing to do with them being travellers. It just isn’t suitable to have homes close to the animal sanctuary.

“People take noise complaints very seriously and rightly so.

“No one wants to hear noise.”

The plans have been put forward to Wiltshire Council and a decision is expected to be made in September.