Views sought over Travellers' site row - Berkshire

From the Royal Borough Observer

PETITIONERS have won a bid for a full consultation over the contentious issue of finding further sites for Travellers in the Royal Borough.

At a meeting of the Royal Borough cabinet on Wednesday councillors ruled that the proposals for the extension of two sites and the construction of one more be reconsidered in light of vociferous opposition.

Petitions against the plans had been submitted by the residents of Waltham St Lawrence, Horton and Wraysbury.

A motion was passed for officers of the Royal Borough to undertake further work to find other potential Travellers sites in the borough and for further consultation to be undertaken involving the residents in the wards affected.

The consultation results will be presented to the cabinet on Thursday, September 27.

Cllr David Evans, lead petitioner against the extension of the Waltham St Lawrence site, said: "We need to be transparent about why some sites have been ruled out and why others have not.

"I am quite optimistic that we are moving in the right direction and the Pool Lane site will be removed from the proposal."

The plan proposed extending the Travellers sites in Pool Lane, Waltham St Lawrence and Mill Place, Datchet, and constructing a new site in Pickins Piece, Horton, which are all in the Green Belt and on flood zone land.

Betty Marlow, lead petitioner for the Horton petition, said: "I am quite happy with the outcome as we are all singing from the same hymn sheet about the green belt."

Cllr Christine Bateson, lead member for planning and partnerships, said: "We wish to take further consultation and technical enquiries for the project. Cabinet needs more time to make an assessnent on the sites. We are aware of the strength of feeling on the issue."