Outrage over bid for Travellers' site - Berkshire

From the Royal Borough Observer

A MAN has risked angering villagers by re-applying for a Travellers site in Old Windsor.

Fred Sines, a self-proclaimed Traveller, owns Newtonside Orchard mobile home park, off Burfield Road.

He hit the headlines in April last year when he applied, and then withdrew, an application to turn Green Belt land into a Travellers' site.

But following an admission by council officers that they need to create 10 more Traveller pitches in the Royal Borough to adhere to Government regulations, Mr Sines has applied for five pitches on the same site.

The application states: "Officers have already accepted there is a need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches in the borough and that at present insufficient alternative sites are available."

The plans were submitted to the Royal Borough's planning department on Tuesday, June 12, and four letters of objection have already been submitted to the council by residents.

Councillor Malcolm Beer, an Independent representing the Old Windsor ward, has called in the application requesting it be discussed by Windsor Rural Development Control Panel.

He said: "Considering the public outrage at the application last year it was only sensible to call it in. We will have to see how it works out."

Council officers had proposed to extend the current sites at Pool Lane, Waltham St Lawrence, and Mill Place, Datchet, while a new site was planned at Pickins Piece, Horton, as they aim to meet the Government 10 pitches target.

At a scrutiny panel meeting on Tuesday last week the plans were criticised by councillors and there are question marks over where the ten new pitches will go.

Councillor Beer added: "The Government can't force us to put more pitches in the borough if there isn't anywhere for them to go. The borough is 83% green belt and a hell of a lot of it floods."

Mr Sines' application is unlikely to be heard at the Windsor panel before August.