VICTORY OVER GYPSY SITE - Cheshire

From the Express

THOUSANDS of protesters are celebrating after town hall bosses scrapped plans for a new Gypsy site following a change in Government policy, writes Kirsty Buchanan.

Cheshire East Council is believed to be the first in the country to ditch controversial plans for a new legal Traveller site following the Coalition’s shake up of planning guidelines.

Residents sent a 7,000-strong petition to Downing Street in opposition to the council plans for a 12-pitch site near their homes in Crewe. The site would have housed up to 24 trailers and 24 vehicles.

The Parkers Road site proposal was pulled at the last minute as councillors cited the overhaul of planning laws recently introduced by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

It removes sole responsibility for providing pitches from councils and gives communities a stronger voice over whether legal sites should be provided locally. Cheshire East Council said it would work with private landlords to find alternatives for Travellers.

Glenn Perris, chairman of Crewe Against Traveller Sites, said: “We were confident we would win.”