Bath plots included on list of possible Travellers sites - Somerset

From the Bath Chronicle

Plots of land at Twerton and Newbridge have been approved for inclusion on a list of possible Travellers sites for the Bath area, which has no official pitches at the moment.

One site being looked at is land near Twerton Woods at Lower Bristol Road, where 15 transit places could be established.

The site is already being used by Travellers who have been there for well over a year but the site could now become a permanent and official fixture.

The other city site is at Station Road in Newbridge, which at one point would have been swallowed up in the controversial Bus Rapid Transit route.

The sites were approved for inclusion in a consultation exercise at a council cabinet meeting this week at which hundreds of people turned out to object to other sites on the list - particularly old colliery buildings at Stanton Wick.

However, no opposition was expressed against the proposals for Newbridge and Twerton.

Tracy Cuthbert, who has lived at the Lower Bristol Road site for two years, said: “I moved there by accident but since I have been there my daughter has started school in Twerton and all the teachers have been brilliantly supportive.

“There’s no bullying from any of the children and we get on really well with the local residents.”

She added: “It is a really easy walk to school, the only complaint I have is that it is a bit muddy.”

B&NES Council says it is obliged by law to identify sites and that setting up formal pitches would strengthen its hand when it came to dealing with illegal occupations and mean that users would have to pay council tax.

The other locations being looked at include plots at Keynsham, Stanton Wick, Radstock and Whitchurch, while a site proposed at Camerton was dropped from the list.

Council cabinet member for homes and planning Councillor Tim Ball (Lib Dem, Twerton) assured residents that their views would be heard.

He said: “If a site is unsuitable, at the end of the process it will disappear. I assure all residents here this evening we are listening to you and we will report back.”