A farming business is facing a fight to keep accommodation for its ‘essential’ foreign workers following a complaint to the council.

Robinson’s Nurseries, at Yew Tree Farm, Heald Green , Stockport , has used 12 caravans to house a largely eastern European temporary workforce.

They have been on site for at least four years but following an anonymous complaint a council probe found only four of them were permitted to be there.

So the business has had to submit a retrospective planning application in a bid to keep them on what is greenbelt land.

Workers, many of whom are from Poland, are needed to produce and harvest tomatoes and ornamental plants from January to November.

Alison Heine, a consultant employed to produce the application, said: “Yew Tree Farm relies on overseas students to carry out year round works.

“It is not possible to find local people willing to do this manual work, much of which is skilled and requires a disciplined workforce.

“There is an essential need for reliable, skilled casual labour.

“The nursery would struggle to recruit seasonal workers without providing affordable accommodation.”

Caravans first appeared on site in the 1970s as homes for two families.

Four were brought in back in 2005 to house workers and, as they have been on site for more than 10 years without complaint, qualify as having planning permission.

Another eight have since been added with no new ones at the site since 2012.

Council officers have been on site previously to look at other planning applications without viewing any of the caravans as problems.

But receiving a complaint triggered an investigation.

Mrs Heine said: “It is clear the use is not abused by the farm and has not given rise to any concerns locally until the complaint received in 2015.

“It is far from clear why that complaint was made and how this use has impacted on any third party.

“If a local labour force could be found willing to do this work the caravans would not be necessary but that has not proved to be the case.

“The caravans are all in good condition and are of good quality.”

Consultation on the application closes on July 13 with a decision expected in August.