Christchurch Borough Council will discuss future of Grange Road Depot - Dorset

THE future of a controversial piece of land formerly earmarked as a possible travellers site in Christchurch will be discussed by councillors on Wednesday.

Despite pulling Grange Road Depot from its list of proposed Travellers sites last month, councillors at Christchurch Borough Council will now look at marking the land for housing or employment use or a mixture of both.

A report to the council’s resources committee on Wednesday also recommends looking at other suitable sites for Gypsies, Travellers and travelling Showpeople.

The important site has been seen as suitable for helping to fulfil the 80 hectares of land needed to meet future employment needs across the area.

In the report, Neil Farmer, strategic director at the council said: “It is important that as a council we respond positively to the challenges these difficult economic times give us.

“At a local level we have a role to encourage enterprise and to help establish the conditions which promote growth and prosperity.

“Coupled with enterprise, is the need for a thriving mixed community, which provides housing for our workforce who will drive economy recovery and to provide accommodation for the needs of those more older and vulnerable members of our community.”

Currently the site is owned freehold by Christchurch Borough Council and provides an operational base for its grounds maintenance team.

Small offices and industrial units are also licensed to other businesses with some parts of the site currently used as a base for refuse and cleansing vehicles and the Dorset Waste Partnership.

Hundreds of local people campaigned for the site to be removed from the list of potential Traveller sites during a consultation, which ended this year.

At the time the site was withdrawn, Cllr Ray Nottage, leader of Christchurch council said: “It is a priority of this council for Christchurch to remain a thriving place to live and work, with high standards of housing and good employment opportunities, particularly for our younger residents.”