EIGHT potential Wyre Forest Traveller sites will be dropped, two will make the shortlist and the public will have its say on another three, if cabinet agrees tonight.
The recommendations were made by Wyre Forest District Council’s Overview and Scrunity Committee last night and are expected to be rubber stamped by cabinet this evening.
As sites at Nunn’s Corner and The Gables Yard in Stourport were put forward for inclusion in the site allocations and policies development plan document and another three in Sandy Lane were suggested for consultation, councillors called for measures to make the town exempt from taking on more Travellers in the future.
Conservative councillor John Holden said he hoped the sites were approved as Travellers were already “quite happy” living there but added: “Stourport has done its bit for the gypsy community. We have accommodated them, we have worked alongside them and I live alongside them in my particular house.”
He suggested that the planning policy for the future should “include wording that Stourport has done its bit and the rest of Worcestershire should take heed and do their bit.”
Cabinet will tonight consider draft policy wording for a criteria-based approach to providing future Traveller sites.
The committee recommended sites at Stourport Road in Bewdley, the former Sion Hill school in Kidderminster, the former Lea Castle Hospital in Cookley and Manor Farm in Stourport should be disregarded.
It also agreed sites at Hoobrook Trading Estate in Kidderminster, Wilden Lane in Stourport, the former Yieldingtree packing site near Churchill and Clows Top garage site should be taken no further as officers had not confirmed their availability.
Concerns were raised that Clows Top garage had been on and off the shortlist and could find itself back in consultation a few years down the line.
Leader of Wyre Forest District Council John Campion said he had “utmost sympathy” for residents of Clows Top and did not support the site being used for Travellers. “It would be a difficult site to develop for whatever use and this I believe would be nigh on impossible,” he said.
He agreed Stourport residents existed peacefully alongside Travellers but said it was important to make sure “we don’t take it too far.” He said scruntiny’s recommendations were sensible and would be welcomed by cabinet.
It was suggested that the public have their say on three sites at Sandy Lane, Stourport. Liberal councillor Fran Oborski said the owners of 1A Broach Road said they would be able to accomodate one of two more pitches on their already existing site, following minor changes.
She said the owners of 28-29 Sandy Lane had asked for traveller pitches to be considered for their land and residents should also be consulted on land opposite the Gatehouse. The committee agreed and suggested the next round of consultation should be in Febraury and March.
Cabinet will make their final decisions tonight at 6pm at Stourport Civic Hall.
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