Newport residents asked for Gypsy site ideas - Wales

From the South Wales Argus

THE public is being asked to submit their own ideas for where to put a Gypsy site in Newport.

Newport council has started a review of the highly controversial issue, which prompted protests last year after a shortlist was drawn up by the previous Tory and Liberal Democrat administration.

Calls are now being made for suggestions for locations that may be suitable to accommodate Gypsy and Traveller families.

A new list of sites is being drawn up by a cross-party project team from a council scrutiny committee, and the council is hoping it can make the process as transparent as possible.

Ideas can be emailed or written in and could then be considered alongside more than 200 sites that were previously identified.

All sites will be analysed against a list of criteria to allow a shortlist to be drawn up.

The council has warned that racially motivated or abusive correspondence will not be accepted.

Such letters will be returned to the sender and copied to the police.

The work needs to be complete by September to meet the timetable for the Local Development Plan - which must include both permanent and transit sites.

Suggestions of appropriate sites can be sent via email to scrutiny@newport.gov.uk They can also be sent by post to Gypsy and Traveller Site Review, Overview and Scrutiny Unit, Newport City Council, Civic Centre, Newport NP20 4UR.