TOWN Hall chiefs expect to draw up a shortlist of potential locations for a traveller and gypsy transit site in Warrington by the end of the year.
Once this has been done, there will be widespread consultation with the public and any potential site will be thoroughly scrutinised through the planning process.
This assurance was given by former deputy leader of the borough council Mike Hannon in a letter to former Trades Union and Socialist Coalition councillor Kevin Bennett.
Before the May elections, the then Fairfield and Howley councillor had asked questions at a council meeting about what he described as a “secret plan” to put a travellers’ transit site on land off Birchwood Way and had called for assurances that no transit site would be established anywhere in Cinnamon Brow, Fearnhead, Bruche, Padgate or Longbarn.
Cllr Hannon wrote to Mr Bennett in April confirming that no sites had been identified.
He said: “The council has a duty to consider the needs of all groups in the borough, including gypsies and travellers. Officers are currently in the process of establishing ‘need’ and potential sites for a gypsy and traveller transit site.
“We expect to establish a short list of potential sites by the end of this year.
Once we have done this we will, of course, widely consult with the public and ensure any potential site is thoroughly scrutinised through the planning process.”
The lack of a transit site in Warrington is one of the reasons by groups of travellers keep invading various pieces of land across the borough and why the council is restricted in its ability to take action against them.
Since the letter was written, Mr Bennett has lost his seat on the council and Cllr Hannon is no longer deputy leader of the council.
The letter has been published as part of the agenda for the next council meeting on Monday, June 20.
An unauthorised traveller camp site (picture for illustrative purposes only)
Gypsy transit site shortlist “by the end of the year”
22 Comments
2 Comments
Why do we have to offer any site to these people. They will still break into our homes, thieve from our shops, frighten our children and steal our pets. They will also leave the site looking more like landfill that will have to cleared up at our cost. I would suggest it’s time for the travellers to settle down into homes of their own and stop creating problems across the UK.
Cambridge, to name but one local authority, has more than one transit camp site for travellers. Local Cambridge papers reported the sites have brought little respite for local residents, because travellers continued to set up ad hoc camps as they please away from the designated transit sites. Presumably Cambridge LA would be fully aware of all the remedies available to them, with their transit camps in place, but they continue to face the same problems as WBC without a transit camp.