Marshfield and Coedkernew residents to meet over Gypsy site concern - Newport

From the South Wales Argus

RESIDENTS in the Marshfield and Coedkernew areas of Newport will voice their opposition to proposed Gypsy site in the area.

A meeting with their local councillors, Richard White and Tom Suller and council officials has now been moved to the Duffryn community centre to accommodate demand, after activists posted flyers to more than 1,500 homes in the are to raise awareness of the meeting, which will take place at 7.30pm on Tuesday (July 9).

Residents are unhappy that the site, on land at Celtic Way close to Quinn radiators, was named as a proposed transit site for Gypsy communities in Newport City Council's local development plan (LDP).

The proposals followed consultation by a scrutiny committee of councillors in 2012.

When the council voted through the LDP last month, a site at Hartridge Farm Road in Ringland was chosen as the preferred residential site, while the land at Celtic Way was chosen as the preferred transit site.

Tracey Lawrence, 43, a Coedkernew resident who has been handing out flyers in her area said her opposition to the site wasn't just based on the usual, emotive grounds, Ms Lawrence said: "I don't want it to become a witch hunt. I wouldn't want a camping site there because I think it's a really great area for development in Newport."

Her view was based on the large number of businesses in the area, and the potential to attract more businesses to the area. Another resident, David Jones, 48, said he felt residents had not received enough information.

Mr Jones said: "I've spoke to a lot of people while handing out flyers and they don't want it [the site] in this area he said."