Councillors meet with residents in Gypsy site row - Swansea

From the South Wales Evening Post

COCKETT councillors have met with concerned residents to explain why they can not do more to fight the prospect of a new Travellers' site on their doorstep.

Under law Swansea Council has to provide a second permanent Gypsy and Travellers' site in the city. To date five sites have been earmarked as possible locations — one each in Fforestfach, Swansea Vale and Penlan and two in Gorseinon.

Residents living in and around Fforestfach, which if chosen would see the site set up on the area's former greyhound stadium, met in Waunarlwydd Rugby Club on Thursday evening in the latest in a series of public meetings to discuss the plans.

The feelings among the 100 or so residents was overwhelmingly against placing the site in the stadium.

Also at the meeting were Cockett ward councillors Ann Cook, Geraint Owens, Mitchell Theaker and Andrew Jones who were accused of not doing enough to fight against the proposal. One resident said: "We voted you in as our representatives, you should be driving this forwards for us.

"Your role is to support us as a community and there are four communities under threat."

Another added: "We don't feel that we are getting the same level of support as other areas."

The four councilors were also criticised for not attending a previous meeting.

Councillor Andrew Jones said: "We have to give you an apology for not coming to the last meeting. That was wrong. Although there was nothing to say we should have come along." He added: "We have been given legal advice over what we can and can not say about it.

"We are part of the community as well. It is the easiest thing in the world to say that we are opposed to the Gypsies Traveller site in the dog track. If we did we wouldn't be able to have a voice in council."

Councillor Mitchell Theaker added: "It's like been on jury service, we can't tell you how we are going to vote."

The meeting was told that the public consultation is now over bringing an end to the community's involvement.

Mr Jones said: "Officers are now shifting through all the comments received, not just the Greyhound track, but all the other sites. They were inundated and also taken aback by the quality of comments.

"We are expecting an update on July 23. Officers will then make a recommendation and it will go to the council and it will discuss the issue. The final decision will be taken by the cabinet in a closed meeting.