Wyre Forest Tories oppose new potential Gypsy sites - Kidderminster

THE leader of Wyre Forest District Council is against the three new sites suggested for Gypsy and Traveller use.

John Campion says he and the Conservative Group he leads on the district council believe further consultation on land at Clows Top garage, the former Yieldingtree Packing site near Blakedown and Hoobrook Trading Estate in Kidderminster would cause “unnecessary worry” to residents.

The Tory group is also opposed to the Local Development Framework (LDF) panel’s recommendation to include land at Wilden Lane, north of the Sandy Lane industrial estate in Stourport in a six-week public consultation.

Mr Campion said: “We are cognisant of the unnecessary worry that could be caused to some communities by these sites being suggested by the LDF panel. We are at this early stage stating that we will not support these sites through the democratic process when they are discussed later this month.

“We believe that the immediate identified need can be met through regularising existing and pending sites within Sandy Lane Industrial Estate. This will give the council time to conduct a further needs assessment to help us plan for numbers post 2017.”

Conservative councillor for Mitton ward, John Holden said: “We have a long history of settled Gypsy and Travellers living within the ward and we support the sites currently being used to be legalised which in turn will help the council meet its overall numbers. This is not about identifying new areas outside of the Sandy Lane Industrial estate.”

Independent councillor, Peter Dyke, says his group is also opposed to consultation on the site at Hoobrook Trading Estate. “This site was never mentioned in the original Baker report as being suitable and had never even come up in any debate that we are aware of until last Monday's meeting,” he said. “We know that the proposal to recommend this site to scrutiny was supported by Labour, Conservative and Independent and Community Health Concern Councillors on the panel,” he explained.

His wife, Independent councillor Helen Dyke said: "As a member of the scrutiny committee I will participate in the meeting with an open and fair mind as I always do when all sites are debated but as a ward councillor for Aggborough and Spennells, which includes Hoobrook Trading Estate, I will, of course, be representing residents within my ward as would every other councillor.

“I must also admit to being very confused as to the position of the Conservative Group on these recommendations. Councillor Campion says that his group are not predisposed to support these extra recommendations and of course we would welcome this good news if true but why then did Conservative councillors support them last Monday and set the whole thing in motion? The whole thing just seems one big muddle.”