Meeting rejects bid to halt Gypsy and traveller sites consultation - Somerset

From the Bath Chronicle

A Conservative proposal to halt a consultation on potential Gypsy and Traveller sites across Bath and north east Somerset has been rejected at a special council meeting.

Councillors met this afternoon to discuss the authority’s ongoing plans to look at various plots of land in the area, to see if they are suitable to be designated as official sites for the travelling community.

A number of them - including ones at Stanton Wick, Keynsham and Radstock - have already proved controversial with people living in the area.

The local Conservative group argued that the consultation process was flawed and that the ruling Liberal Democrat party needed to “go back to the drawing board” to make sure they found more appropriate locations.

Councillor Malcolm Hanney (Con, Chew Valley North) said: “It is very difficult to see how the Radstock, Keynsham and Stanton Wick sites can have been determined by the cabinet to be preferred sites.

“One way or another the cabinet will have to recognise that it has got it wrong and will need to listen before it is too late.”

However, this was rejected by the Liberal Democrats, who said they were determined to continue with the process, giving people the opportunity to have their say on the list of potential sites before a decision was made.

Leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council Paul Crossley said: “This is not a consultation, it is a pre-consultation, asking the questions and working with people.

“I fully understand this is not the most popular question I am going to ask anyone, but the question of halting it is just going back to 20 years of inaction by this council.

“At the moment no decisions have been made, we are just asking questions about the six sites.”

When it came to the vote, the Liberal Democrats were backed by the Labour group and the Independent councillors.

The consultation, which runs until July 18, will continue as before. The matter will then be discussed at a cabinet meeting on September 12.

The six sites currently being consider are: a plot in Station Road, Newbridge; the current Traveller site in Lower Bristol Road, Twerton; the land near Ellsbridge House, in Keynsham; the Old Colliery Buildings, in Stanton Wick; land at Wollard Lane, in Whitchurch; and the former Radstock Infant School canteen, in Radstock.

For more information go to www.bathnes.gov.uk and click on Gypsy and Traveller Site Consultation.

see also: From ITV - Potential Gypsy sites being discussed

The BBC - Somerset Travellers site search continues after vote

This Is Bath - Gypsy and Traveller Site consultation continues

The Somerset Guardian - Calls to stop consultation over Travellers' sites are thrown out