Crewe Gypsy site plan set to be thrown out today - Cheshire

From the Crewe Guardian

PLANS for a Gypsy and Traveller site in Crewe are set to be thrown out today, Thursday.

Cheshire East Council meets tonight to discuss the future of the Parkers Road site after Conservatives put forward a motion to scrap the idea.

Full Council is expected to rubberstamp the motion, but a discussion about the proposal will take place before the vote.

This week Labour councillors welcomed the decision by Conservatives to withdraw the plans for Coppenhall.

“The Conservative-led Cheshire East Council should never have suggested this proposed site at all,” said Crewe East Ward Cllr Chris Thorley.

Labour councillors had proposed the planning application by withdrawn in February.

However, the council had considered it as the best site for a number of reasons including its proximity to an urban area and schools, the flatness of the land, good road access and because the area was known to be used by Gypsies.

If approved, the site would house an amenity block with washrooms, kitchen, dayroom and laundry as well as the pitches for homes.

Despite it being the council’s preferred site, more than 5,000 people signed a petition calling for the plans to be thrown out.

They were opposed on the grounds of cost, potential traffic hazards, lack of school facilities, proximity to a main railway line, an improper site selection process and threat to protected wildlife.

Last week the Conservatives’ said the new motion was put forward due to changes in the Government’s planning policy, which gives greater scope for local authorities to carry out their own assessments of the housing needs of Gypsies and Travellers.