Swansea councillors set to look for new Travellers' site - Wales

From the South Wales Evening Post

A NEW group of Swansea councillors is being set up to look for a second Travellers' site in Swansea.

The plan is for seven councillors, backed by council officers, to form a group that will report to Cabinet at a later date, setting out options for potential sites.

The council said it was too early to say if the new group would refer to the findings of its predecessor, which had painstakingly viewed more than 1,000 plots of land in Swansea since August 2010.

A council spokesman said: "It (the new group) will be able to set its own agenda and decide which potential sites to examine prior to reporting to Cabinet."

The previous task and finish group eventually arrived at a shortlist of five potential sites, obtained by the Post, comprising land off Heol y Mynydd, Gorseinon; the former greyhound stadium, in the Cockett ward; Milford Way, Penderry; land at the eastern gateway to Swansea Vale, Llansamlet; and land at the rear of Parc Melin Mynach in Gorseinon.

Search criteria included the size of the site, access, provision of public transport, sewerage infrastructure, school availability and effect on neighbouring residents.

This shortlist of five sparked protests in some of the communities mentioned, but no final decision was taken prior to the May 3 local Government elections, in which Labour swept the Liberal Democrat-led administration from power.

Labour leaders will discuss the setting up of the new task and finish group at a Cabinet meeting tomorrow, and are likely to recommend it has four Labour members and one from each of the three opposition groups.

A housing needs assessment carried out in Swansea has established a second authorised Travellers' site is required. The existing authorised site is at Pantyblawd Road, Llansamlet, while two traveller families won the right in 2009 to stay at an unauthorised site at Swansea Vale.

The report going before Cabinet said: "Failure to identify suitable permanent Gypsy and Traveller site(s) may compromise any future applications for possession orders on unauthorised sites being used by Gypsy Travellers in Swansea."