Monday 10 June 2013

Concerns that 'desperate' council may approve site - Somerset

From the Somerset Guardian

Residents opposing plans to create a 12-pitch Traveller site on a former colliery site in Stanton Wick will question Bath and North East Somerset Council's cabinet about what the local authority is doing to help provide more pitches for Gypsies and Travellers next week.


Stanton Wick Action Group will be asking questions about the progress of a blueprint on the subject which will be discussed at the cabinet meeting taking place next Wednesday.

Chairman of Stanton Wick Action Group, Clarke Osborne, said residents do not want a development of such scale in the green belt and fear the application will be passed by the local authority simply because it is struggling to find alternatives within the district.

He said: "We are very interested to know what is being done about bringing sites forward."

The authority had originally included Stanton Wick on a list of suggested potential official sites but dismissed the location for a scheme of its own in September. The latest plans have been submitted privately, by Mr T Smart.

Mr Osborne said: "We are concerned that the unsuitable site at Stanton Wick will be passed by B&NES planners simply because they are desperate."

The protest group held a roadshow on Monday to tell people about its concerns regarding the site's size, ecology, contamination and highways access. Dozens of people attended the exhibition to find out how they can comment on the application, reference number 13/01965/FUL, before the deadline is up on June 13.

Mr Osborne said: "This is not about not wanting Gypsies and Travellers to live in our community – far from it. We would welcome one or two pitches but the scale of this development is not suitable."

The applicant's agent, Simon Ruston, has argued that the plan would see the redevelopment of a brownfield site rather than an untouched greenfield one.

He said a detailed transport statement would address highways conc

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