Large numbers of protesters expected at Leicester Travellers site meeting - Leicestershire

From the Leicester Mercury

Large numbers of protesters are expected to attend a meeting to decide whether two managed Travellers camps should be built in Leicester.

A special meeting of Leicester City Council’s planning meeting will take place tomorrow at 6pm, in the African Caribbean Centre, in Maidstone Road, Highfields.

The centre can accommodate some 200 people - some 60 more than the town hall which would normally host such meetings.

Planning committee members will decide whether to permit housing association Framework to build pitches at Greengate Lane and Thurcaston Road, to the north of the city.

Both site were selected by the council for development but more than 2,700 names were collected on petitions opposing them.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has said the decision now rests solely with the planning committee but stressed the 16 pitches are needed to tackle to reduce the numbers of unauthorised camps in the city which cost huge sums of cash to deal with.

Opponents say Sir Peter has pushed the plans through disregarding their concerns.

Tomorrow night the two planning applications will be considered separately, and the committee will hear a presentation from planning officers giving details of each application.

Framework representatives will also speak as well as objectors who have previously registered their opposition with the councils.

People can also follow the meeting using a live webcast.

Parking is limited in the area around the venue, although there is some on-street parking nearby.

The closest public car park is at Leicester Station, a few minutes' walk from the centre. The number 17 bus service also goes past the African Caribbean Centre.

The webcast can be viewed www.leicester.public-i.tv/core