Leicester mayor wants to find another 20 pitches for Travellers and Gypsies - Leicestershire

From the Leicester Mercury

Sir Peter Soulsby wants to find space for a further 20 managed pitches for Travellers and Gypsies in Leicester.

The city mayor says controversial plans, approved on Wednesday, for 16 pitches on two sites at Red Hill Way and Thurcaston Road will not solve the problem of illegal encampments in the city

The council chose the sites on land it owns and they will be managed by housing association Framework, which has been granted £4.3 million of Government cash to build them.

Sir Peter said: "They will begin to take the pressure off but it doesn't solve the problem.

"We probably need the same number of pitches again.

"I want to find at least 20 other pitches on two or three other sites and make sure we do not concentrate them in just one part of the city."

He said transit sites – where Travellers could stop for a few weeks at a time before moving on – were a priority, rather than more permanent pitches such as those already approved.

Sir Peter said: "Officers have been looking for sites but we wanted to get these planning applications out of the way.

"As soon as I have considered what they are saying, I will make it public."

He said he thought one of the 300 city council-owned sites previously considered was again an option – but would not say which one.

Members of the council's planning committee, who unanimously agreed the Framework sites on Wednesday, were read a letter by Leicester West MP Liz Kendall, who said there was a strong sense of unfairness that the sites were concentrated in one part of the city.

She said: "The applications before you have been very strongly and almost unanimously opposed by residents.

"There is a very real risk these proposals could exacerbate rather than alleviate the problem of unauthorised encampments.

"Many of my constituents are concerned the two sites will simply increase the number of Travellers who come to Leicester."

Some angry residents shouted abuse at councillors as they voted for the schemes.

Planning officers told members the sites were on green wedge land, but policies protecting it were outweighed by the need for new pitches with a waiting list of 81 at the city's only existing managed site at Meynells Gorse.

A further 97 pitches are required by 2031.

Residents told the meeting the sites were unsafe and unsuitable to live on because they were close to loud major roads.

They also expressed fears about potential rises in crime and the impact on house prices.

Alan Whomsley, president of Belgrave Bowling Club, near the Thurcaston Road site, told councillors the site had been chosen "to antagonise and cause as much upset as possible as you can to all the people in the area".

Terry McGreal, of the LE4 Action group, which collected 2,700 names on petitions against the proposals, said: "We are very disappointed but not surprised.

"In these cases the council was the land owner and planning authority. It held all the cards."

Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles may still overrule the council's decision and has 30 days to intervene.

Framework's Adam Jacobs said: "We understand people's concerns. I am very pleased with the decision but we don't feel in the least bit triumphant.

"We will manage the sites to minimise any potential problems."

He said construction work on the sites would begin in May and take about eight months to complete.

see also: The Leicester Mercury - Mercury opinion: Travellers' sites policy must be fair