Up to 16 caravan pitches have been approved in an effort to meet the need for traveller accommodation in the borough.

The green-lit application allows the building of a detached two-bedroom bungalow and 16 caravan pitches on the private travellers site in Grove Place, at the junction of Carshalton Road and Woodmansterne Road.

The plans were approved six votes to zero at a meeting of Sutton Council's planning committee on Wednesday, January 7.

There were two abstentions, Conservative deputy leader Councillor Tony Shields and Liberal Democrat Councillor Kevin Burke.

Explaining his decision after the meeting Coun Burke said that he was open to the increased provision of sites but would have prefered it to have been open to other bidders.

He said: "It's a family owned site and if we are going to support it, the expansion should be open to more than one family."

The land, a mobile home and a detached building for storage, is north of a council-owned traveller site used for housing for more than three decades. Officer reports into the bid report "very few issues" during the past 30 years.

Increasing the number of pitches would fulfil the borough's need for more pitches within Sutton.

According to Sutton Council, stipulations attached to the plans mean only members of six Gypsy families are allowed to use the site.

During the process the council sent letters to 29 residents in Croydon Lane and Carshalton Road on October 30, 2014, receiving no comments.