Hundreds show their anger over travellers' site plans in South Gloucestershire (From Gazette Series)

Hundreds show their anger over travellers' site plans in South Gloucestershire

2:01pm Tuesday 30th June 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(1)

PROTESTERS campaigning against travellers’ sites in Rangeworthy have made their views known in a massive show of public outrage.

More than 300 people attended a public meeting in the memorial hall on Sunday night and hundreds more went to a drop-in consultation event at Yate Leisure Centre yesterday.

They were joined by residents from Wickwar and Brimsham Park and North Road in Yate who have united to campaign against 27 acres of land on Tanhouse Lane being included in South Gloucestershire Council’s Development Plan Document (DPD), which will recommend numerous sites are used by travellers.

Police were in attendance at the consultation in case temperatures over the issue reached boiling point.

Jan Averis, from the Hall End Action Group, said: "We are not going to give up.

"We have seen what support there is within the community and from the public meeting on Sunday people seem to be very angry. Momentum is growing and we will do what it takes to stop this."

She said community spirit in Rangeworthy was stronger than ever but if Tanhouse Lane was given the go ahead as a travellers’ site, alongside the approved Homefield site, the 200 residents in the village will be in the minority."

Tim Morris, from Wickwar, said: "I am particularly concerned about the Tanhouse Lane site for all the reasons I objected to the Homefield site.

"There is no reason why it could not become even bigger and the infrastructure just could not support it."

Helen Marsden, from Rangeworthy, said: "We were told in the planning meeting on the Homefield site that our objections were immaterial to the planning process so what is the point in this consultation?

"South Gloucestershire Council effectively said last Thursday that can put travellers’ sites wherever they want to. It is quite depressing really."

The council’s spatial planning team manager, Patrick Conroy, told the Gazette people’s views would be taken into consideration.

He said: "We are not at a stage where we are saying these sites are going to be approved.

"The council is not promoting these sites. They were put to us during the consultation and we have a duty to publicise these sites.

"We are making people aware how they can put their comments to us.

"It may seem very hard and very difficult but it gives people a chance to make their views known and shows people that alternative sites are being considered."

Northavon MP Steve Webb said: "I plan to meet residents as soon as possible to work out a strategy to fight some of these inappropriate applications.

"People are feeling particularly bruised because of the Hall End application. The council says it is consulting but what confidence can residents have that they will be listened to?"

Marilyn Palmer, Pucklechurch parish councillor and chairman of the South Gloucestershire Campaign to Protect Rural England, said she was concerned that the newly-added sites contradict rulings made by the Planning Inspectorate.

"Two sites in Pucklechurch, which were given consent after public inquiries, are being considered for more pitches," she said.

"I am concerned because these sites are in the green belt and as part of their planning conditions it was agreed one pitch would be okay but extending them would exacerbate the impact on the green belt. More pitches would be a lot more intrusive."