LOCAL Lib Dems have hit out at former Labour Cllr Neil Johnson for leaking the location of a proposed gypsy traveller transit site at Croft, Warrington.
Cllr. Judith Wheeler criticised the Labour defector for revealing the possible site for travellers transit site saying his actions have possibly set back finding a suitable location another 10 years.
But Cllr Johnson, who represents Culcheth Croft and Glazebury on the borough council hit back saying the Lib Dems had been complicit in plans to station a gypsy/traveller transit site in his ward.
Cllr Wheeler is a current member of the Council’s Travellers Task Group. It is a cross-party group whose purpose is to find a suitable Travellers Transit site in Warrington.
She said: “Unauthorised encampments are costly for the Council, are disruptive for local communities and are not the answer for the travelling community. Transit sites reduce the number of such encampments as proved in Halton.
“For over ten years the Council has been looking for a site, one that is in a suitable location which means good transport links but not too close to residential areas to minimise disruption. And a site whose purchase price is acceptable to the Council.
“No areas of Warrington have been off the table in considering possible locations, something members of the Group acknowledge.
“The Group is not secret, but the discussions are confidential. It acknowledges this is a sensitive subject for residents and until able to find a legitimate site, nothing is made public because rumour, speculation and disinformation jeopardise the process. Any Travellers Transit Site must go through the full planning process.
She added: “Councillor Johnson attended one meeting of the Group so to criticise and accuse the Council as guilty of shady skulduggery shows his poor grasp of the current situation and a failure to understand the purpose of the Group he is a member of. His announcement has possibly set us back ten years and undone all the considerable work the Council has put into finding a site. If we do not find a site, unauthorised encampments will continue, many of them in the ward Councillor Johnson represents. How is this serving his residents?
“The Lib Dem Group will continue to participate in the Group and work with WBC in identifying a site. We would not participate in any Group where we felt the principles of openness and transparency were compromised.
But Cllr Johnson responded: “By their statement, the Lib Dems reveal that they were complicit in plans to station a gypsy/traveller transit site in the ward of Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft. This is unacceptable. I am not opposed to these sites in principle, but they must be located appropriately. This one is not.
“I do not need lessons from a third-rate political party to understand my role as an elected representative. I am there to ensure the needs of my residents are met and that their views are heard. Keeping these plans under wraps from the public while trying to inflict a traveller transit site on the people of Croft and Culcheth by stealth is totally immoral. It cannot be justified. That is why I will oppose it.
“I will set out the details of my campaign to stop this unwanted site in the next few days.”
37 Comments
Judith wheeler and all the WBC councillors who wanted to keep this deal secret.
Don’t forget you are dealing with the residents of Warrington public money YES PUBLIC
You should be OPEN and TRANSPARENT in it’s spending.
What a joke to say “We would not participate in any Group where we felt the principles of openness and transparency were compromised.” given their historic collusion with WBC Labour, nodding dogs comes to mind.
So much for Cllr Wheeler’s understanding of the Nolan Principles. She doesn’t understand all of those principles need to be demonstrably adhered to by those in public office; not mentioned in soundbites whilst ignoring them.
Cllr Wheeler needs to stand down immideately. You have lost the trust of everyone. You should be ashamed
Full power to you sir. Good to see someone fighting for the majority of Croft/culcheth residents. This in an unnecessary issue we eould all have to suffer with
What a guy! Well done. Shove your transit sites
Well done Neil, vote of no confidrnce for the rest of the minions
Well they have screwed themselves for sny votes from the majority of residents. The deception is digusting
Judith wheeler should resign now
She no longer has any credibility
What a man!!! Love him. One person with residents true welfare as his priority. Screw your transit site. Find a brown field site near a load of commercial units to put them up not 400k an acre prime building plots
Why would any locals want this. It wont stop them jumping on the fields they already do for free. The ones that wont want to pay will still illegally park where ever they want. The law protects them. Stop the madness and give the police more powers to stop them as they arrive.
How dare they try and pull this one over on the hard working residents of Croft and Culcheth. This would crrate so much more crime, fly tipping and anti social behavior. Well done that man x
I live close to this in Lowton. We wont want this on our doorstep either!!!! Well done for exposing this
This is an absolute disgrace ,how can this information be kept secret from local residents,and why is this not allowed to be posted on Croft chit chat. That site is supposed to inform local residents of Croft what is going on in there village. Cllr wheeler says it would still need to be approved for planning ??
What a joke. Who does she thinks makes that decision,yes Warrington borough council.They are hardly going to refuse themselves,this is almost a done deal, we have all been totally shafted by Warrington borough council,and we are actually buying this site with our council tax money .we have every right to know we’re OUR money is being spent .well done to Cllr Neil Johnson a great man with a backbone and many good morals thank you sir. You have my full support.
Can you believe they have censord “croft chit chat” to keep a lid on this?? Corruption id say
No I caunt believe it. Croft chit chat. Get it posted and inform your local residents that’s what you’re supposed to be doing I would say this is quite important wouldn’t you slightly more important than Janet’s cats gone missing.
Cllr Wheeler needs to stand down immideately. You have lost the trust of everyone. You should be ashamed
Cllr Wheeler lives in Appleton so thought not in my back yard. Selfish, stand down!
Wheeler your time is up. Like others say you have to go now.
Why would it set back the process 10 years? It’s been 10 years already. How much is this ridiculous bureaucracy costing the taxpayer in surveys and assessments and evaluations? What companies are profiting from this?
Wheeler living in Appleton wanted this the opposite end off Warrington from her. Stand down your a disgrace lady
The chargeable transit site in Halton is not proven. The travellers just moved to warrington where its free. They havr no morals. They csnnot be enforced to pay so rock up where they want. It will not work. You need to change the laws, give more power.
Precisely. Cllr Wheeler manipulating the figures whilst ignoring the circumstances to which they relate. The travelling community come to Warrington and avoid Halton because in Warrington it costs them nothing to set up one ad hoc encampment after another, as they move across the borough. Whereas in Halton they have to pay to use their transit site. The cost of which has doubled since the original budget.
Kenyon lane support you Neil. Thanks. Cllr Wheeler your morals are appauling.
Croft Chit chat (1.5k followers) deleted this news, are they conspiring to hide information from its residents? Gary could you follow up why they wint share local information very relevantoto its residents? Thank you Gary
What a private facebookj group does with their page is up to them – all the facts are on our website and facebook pages and freely available for people to see and comment. People should rely on local news websites for their info rather than facebook where people can spread all kinds of nonsense.
Yet again Gary you have rightly allowed reasoned and polite comment on a matter of local importance, whilst the our other local paper (aka Town Hall Pravda) has closed off comment on its article on the topic. So much for its claim to be serving and reporting on matters of local importance.
Makes me wonder if WBC conduct all there negoiations regarding building developments with this clandestine manner ?
I sat on the first task force which was made up of councillors of all persuasions.
We were thoroughly briefed by Cheshire’s Traveller lady, visited the well run Halton site and over 200 sites were ranked. My ward came top.
Cllr Billy spilt the beans and all hell kicked off. A site is needed in Warrington my ward has.many illegal visits on one occasion the locals through them out a d the police had to escort them to the M6 for their own safety. I was not involved.
I’ve bought stuff from the garden nursery over the years. It’s a tree shielded spot in the country nowhere near lots of houses. I only ran passed the other week when my wife dropped me off near the east lancs.
I can see why it is ranked so high and gone to the top under the search criteria. If clearly beat the site selected near me. This is going to be a site of a SEN school
Warrington needs a travellers site unless it happy to pay for the costs to remove and clear up. It will allow access Silver lane pools nature reserve.
Stand down Wheeler!!. Croft/Culcheth will not accept this. Put it in your back garden in Appleton, cheaper land with bettrr transport links. Crift village roads wont accomadate the trailers. Bye bye Wheeler bye bye
She’s a sound councilor unlike some. I would have liked her support in reusing two Peel Hall planning applications the other week but that’s life as all labour councillors voted for the application.
Btw if this site goes forward then there should be a vote on it at planning.
If you look at the location on the map it is located very well fairly isolated from the main village but conveint for the A580 eastt lancs road and M6.
What all the upset is about is the secret and clandestine way it’s been managed
Doesnt matter how isolated “you” think it is. This is countryside living. The residents here choose not to live on top of each other. It will increase crime rates fly tipping and littering across culcheth and croft as usual
I might buy a caravan and join them, would love to live around there. Why give these none tax payers such an area to live for peanuts when there are so many other options nearer to shite like they are accustomed?
Wheelers bearings have collapsed and she has lost control. Step down now as you have lost control
Well public opinion won hands down !
These clandestine methods don’t work WBC ? You have been warned !