Setback to plans for Travellers sites - Berkshire

From the Royal Borough Observer

PLANS for the extension of two Travellers sites and the construction of one more in the Royal Borough have been dealt a severe blow.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead have mooted the two sites to be extended as Pool Lane, Waltham St Lawrence and Mill Place, Datchet whilst a new site is planned at Pickin's Piece Horton to be completed by Summer 2013 in order to keep to central government targets.

However, a Royal Borough scrutiny panel has decided to not recommend to the Cabinet the proposals for a technical report regarding the three sites to be undertaken.

Cllr George Bathurst, member of the scrutiny panel, said: "The decision was made on the fact that the sites are on green belt and flood zone areas. We do not want to be seen to grant permission to build on sites that are in the green belt or on flood zones for certain groups and not others."

The proposed Pool Lane extension was met with strong, local resistance as Hurley and the Walthams Ward Cllr David Evans submitted a petition of more than 900 names to the council, proposing that the site be excluded from the review.

Cllr Evans said: "Our main concern is that we already have an illegal Traveller's site across the road from the Pool Lane site which the council won an appeal to remove on the grounds that it is in the green belt so it is ludicrous to propose an extension of the Pool Lane site as that is also in the green belt."

Residents in Horton also registered their opposition to the move by forcing the parish council to host a discussion on the issue.

The Royal Borough-owned Pickin's Piece site is the subject of a covenant from 1927 which forbids any "moveable erection intended for use as a dwelling house" to be placed on the land.

Betty Marlow, chair of Datchet, Horton and Wraysbury Neighbourhood Action Group, said: "The main principle is that the covenant has been broken after the land has been protected for more than 80 years."

Lead member for planning and partnerships for the Royal Borough, Cllr Christine Bateson, said: "The plans will come to Cabinet on June 27 and it is up to them to make the decision from there."