Gypsy site shortlisted - Land south of Fairfield and west of Stotfold Road - Bedfordshire

From Comet 24

A PROPOSED new Gypsy and Traveller site has been met with opposition by residents.

A Central Bedfordshire Council committee recommended a shortlist of seven sites, including one on the land south of Fairfield and west of Stotfold Road.

A total of 10 pitches were proposed for the site at last Thursday’s meeting, and will now be considered by the council’s executive later this month.

Chris Titmus, chairman of the Fairfield Park Residents Association, said: “It is fair to say that we are very disappointed. The site just isn’t suitable. I can’t understand why the council haven’t got the sense to see it.

“There are a number of issues; the entrance to the site sits on a blind hill, the road along there floods and it is in the middle of nowhere so there are no amenities.

“We have a representative that will speak on our behalf at the executive committee meeting in March and will be reassessing and reviewing a new submission.”

Stotfold town councillor Brian Saunders added: “We will obviously try to prevent this going through. It is difficult because everyone is in the same position – no one wants them.

“There is still time for people to send in objections which will go though to the inspector.”

The committee heard from 34 representatives from the community when they debated a list of 32 possible sites, which included two in Stotfold, two near Fairfield and one in Langford.

Cllr Nigel Young, executive member for sustainable communities, said: “We are acutely aware of the significance of this debate for both the settled and the Traveller communities and this was reflected in the numbers of people who attended Thursday’s meeting.

“Identifying a shortlist of sites has not been easy. It was important to us to listen to as many representations as we could and we received more than 3.000 written representations beforehand as well.

“These sites will provide 66 pitches and will help fulfil our requirements for appropriate accommodation for the next 10 years.”

The council’s executive will now look at these recommendations before full council and open it for full public consultation later in the spring.