OWNERS of ten caravans stored on a farm have two months to move them.

Councillors rejected a retrospective planning application to keep them at Ragpathside Farm, in Lanchester.

The decision was made at Consett Civic Centre, by Derwentside District Council, yesterday.

Speaking at the meeting on behalf of the site owners, Paula Gibson said the caravans were being stored on behalf of friends and family and were not for commercial purposes.

The planning authority received seven letters of objection from people who live near the site. Neighbouring residents say the caravans harm the landscape, are out of character and obtrusive.

The meeting heard how they remain visible when trees are in full leaf and that when people collect them it creates a disturbance in what is otherwise a quiet area.

Community group The Lanchester Partnership also objected to the application.

A group spokesman said: "The farm occupies low-lying land in the valley of the Browney, south west of Lanchester, within an area of high landscape value in the approved local plan. It is highly visible and seen from roads and footpaths on the rising hillsides to the north and south.

"Storage of caravans on the open land east and west of the farm buildings would be highly conspicuous in the landscape."

The issue of caravans being stored on the farm came to the council's attention in November.

Senior planning officer Ann Rawlinson wrote a report advising the development control committee to refuse the application.

She said: "The siting of these caravans is not screened adequately, although there is some tree planting existing which is currently in leaf, given the time of year.

"In the winter, when the leaves are off the trees, the caravans are visible from long-range views.

"Winter would also be the time of year when people would seek to store their caravans."

The owners must now remove their caravans or face enforcement action.

Council leader Councillor Alex Watson said: "I am sure it will not come to that and the owners will arrange to have them removed. We refused it because they are highly visual on the landscape."