Council to press on with proposed gypsy traveller transit site at Croft

COUNCILLORS voted on controversial plans to create a gypsy and traveller transit site on a green belt land at Croft, Warrington as it emerged the authority has not been fulfilling its legal obligations to have such a facility for more than 20 years.

The traveller transit site in Croft was backed in principle by the Cabinet following a leak revealing the proposed location by former Labour councillor, Neil Johnson, who resigned over the matter. A Labour parish councillor, Cheyvone Bower, claimed (wrongly) that the plan had been scrapped following the leak.
The former Kenyon Lane nurseries are currently listed for sale for £800,000. The leak and the row caused outrage with local Liberal Democrats who said it could have put the future of a proposed traveller transit site in the town back another 10 years.

A report presented at Cabinet on Monday night was entitled ‘Operational property acquisition.’ The purpose was to inform the Cabinet of an opportunity to “acquire a Warrington property and seek approval to purchase the property in accordance with the Council’s policies and Corporate Strategy.”
The report stated there is a capital programme allocation of £2m estimated a number of years ago to identify, acquire and develop an appropriate site. The report said it is estimated a site of between 2.5 acres to 3.7 acres will be required to accommodate between 10 to 15 pitches for Travellers.
And the report said the site is located in a “relatively isolated location” in terms of other buildings. It notes that “while there is an identified need in the Council’s Local Plan for transit pitches, the site’s location in the green belt is a challenge that needs further consideration. However, the recognised need and the lack of available sites are acknowledged and will be considered further in the assessment of a planning application.”

The motion to support in principle was moved by Cabinet after it was put forward by Cllr Denis Matthews and seconded by Cllr Maureen McLaughlin. Cabinet heard a report outlined by Cllr Matthews that this was an “opportunity to deliver a Gypsy and Traveller site in Warrington. It would minimise unauthorised encampments and disruption.” The site could be used for “residential purposes or sold if the Gypsy and Traveller site proves not viable.”
Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet approved in principle the acquisition of the properties compromising the site set out in the report and delegated to the Director of Growth, following consultation with the Director of Law and Governance (Monitoring officer), the council’s deputy CEO and Director of Corporate Services and the Cabinet member for Finance, Assets and Investments, responsibility for the final acquisition terms.
These were based on the principles and costs set out in the report, including the site and access issues mentioned.
The decision requires the Director of Growth to provide an update to the Cabinet member for Finance, Assets and Investments who will then advise Cabinet at a future meeting.
Ahead of the discussion, the authority’s lawyer Paul Clisby explained the item was moved from Part 2 (the part of the meeting where the public and press are excluded) to Part 1 as a “result of disclosure of confidential information. The confidentiality of Part 2 has been compromised,” he added and said it is “now in the public domain.”

Cllr Denis Matthews

Cllr Matthews said it was an opportunity for the council to “minimise the impact of unauthorised traveller visits to the town. We have identified and acquired a site for short-term Gypsy and Traveller accommodation.”
He said neighbouring boroughs have provision for Travellers as part of local authorities’ legal obligations and it “reduces the impact of unauthorised encampments.” A risk assessment from 2018, found Warrington Council needed between five and 10 pitches in Warrington for those in transit.
In August, the authority became aware of a site in Kenyon Lane, between Lowton and Culcheth, which was available as the owner was disposing of it. People using the site would be charged daily rental and would be “restricted to 28 days”, he added. “Currently we manage on an individual basis, but this would enable the police to direct travellers to facilities that could reduce and prevent illegal encampments.”
Warrington, he explained, had on average in the last three years “63 unauthorised encampments a year”, whereas neighbouring Halton Council “which has a transit site has on average nine unauthorised encampments a year over the same period.”
He emphasised it was “not party political. There are few easy decisions in local government and shying away from them is never acceptable.”
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin said: “It is quite striking when you see that we have not fulfilled our legal obligation since the Housing Act came in 2004 – that’s 20 years. It has taken a long time for us to find a site. The impact for many Travellers is they’ve resorted to unauthorised encampments.” She added that people can be moved on and that they will pay for the site. No other councillors spoke on the matter in part 1 of the meeting.
In response to her statement earlier in the day saying the plan was being scrapped Cllr Cheyvone Bower said:” This morning (Monday), a Council officer informed one of the Borough Councillors that WBC could not proceed with the purchase, that the report was being withdrawn from this evening’s Cabinet meeting and that we could share this information with residents.
“I did this in good faith, but there was some reconsideration during the day, leading to that decision being reversed.
“I would never share any such decision without permission and authorisation from WBC.”