Gypsy sites: Council not listening Leicestershire

From the Leicester Mercury

After attending the public consultation at Beaumont Leys Leisure Centre about the proposed gypsy and travellers sites, I came away thinking that there were more unanswered questions about the viability of having these sites close together.

From the scant information presented to the meeting, in my view, there was no clear evidence why the sites had been chosen, other than it seems to be where the Gypsy and Traveller community would like them, because this is the part of the city where unauthorised camps have been in the past.

No wonder the local residents were annoyed that their concerns didn't seem to register with the local politicians.

Indeed, many residents thinking it was a done deal already.

I am particularly uneasy about the proposed site on Greengate Lane.

I represent the nearby residents within the village of Thurcaston. I have had many concerns raised by residents about this proposed site; they remember a similar proposal by the city council some years ago for a site close to Castle Hill Park, which was refused planning permission.

Again I am not sure that the city council have taken into account the extra demand the new development of 3,000 dwellings on Ashton Green will create – this just a stone's throw from the proposed Greengate Lane site.

I have already expressed my concerns about the extra traffic this will generate through our county villages.

These latest proposals, in my view, will only add to the ever-increasing problem of highway safety. Indeed this seems to fly in the face of the criteria that the site was assessed against. I also note there may be issues with schools and the reduction of the green wedge.

It was interesting to receive a letter at the meeting from Liz Kendall, MP, stating that she is "determined to ensure my constituents' views are heard loud and clear". I do hope she has more success in getting the real issues through to the decision makers at the city council, because I fear that they were not in a listening mode at the consultation meeting; indeed, in my view, more time was spent defending the proposals that were on the table.

Consultation is open until Friday, April 13 to residents who can fill in a questionnaire on-line by visiting:

leicester.gov.uk/gypsyand travellersites

David Snartt, county councillor, Bradgate Division.