No to gypsy sites (From Gazette Series)

No to gypsy sites

2:01pm Wednesday 25th June 2008 in Search By Tina Robins

NOT one of the seven North Wiltshire locations pinpointed as possible gypsy sites is to be pursued.

Today's announcement by the district council came at the end of a six-week consultation that saw stormy public meetings and angry protests from residents in Chippenham, Wootton Bassett and Chippenham.

A draft report due to be discussed by the executive on July 3 rules out all of them for reasons ranging from access problems to cost.

The authority is now likely to hand the problem over to the unitary authority when it takes over next year and in the meantime await suggestions from the public for new sites to meet the Government demand for 48 pitches.

Council leader Dick Tonge said: "I am not going to put in a planning application for the 20 people who suggested it should go in my back garden."

NWDC came under heavy fire from residents when it revealed it was looking at publicly-owned land on Marlborough Road and Stoneover Lane, Wootton Bassett; Long Close and two areas in Stanley Lane, Chippenham and Oxford Road and Abberd Lane, Calne.

More than 1,300 objection letters were sent and 4,000 signatures added to petitions.

"We haven't enjoyed this any more than members of the public," said Cllr Tonge. But he was adamant that the process had to be transparent.

The increase from 24 new pitches to 48 came out of the blue and he pointed out that while average increase for the whole of the south west was 0.0 percent: "We have got a 100 percent increase."

Neighbouring Kennet and West Wiltshire did not have to find any.

He pledged that the authority would resist the demand. "Unfortunately we have no high hopes that they are going to take any notice."

"What we intend to do is to look at planning applications that come forward, but also after April next year we will look at it on a Wiltshire-wide basis."

But he stressed: "We have not passed the buck. The previous administration had the problem for three years and did nothing. We could have just kicked it into touch."

Portfolio holder Howard Greenman, said the consultation period had brought new potential solutions including the possibility of looking outside the council's boundaries for new sites.

He also believed there would be no impact on the Minety gypsy site appeal, which is due to start on July 8.

Travellers there have been denied planning permission to legalise the site in Sambourne Road and launched their second appeal earlier this year. They were given temporary permission to stay because there was nowhere else in the district for them to move to.

ends