Bid to amend Rother Travellers' site shortlist fails - Sussex

From the Sussex Courier

EXTENDING Robertsbridge's Travellers' site would be a step too far, according to the local district councillor.

Rother has a shortfall of Traveller accommodation, but Sue Prochak believes small sites scattered across the district would be better than boosting capacity in her village.

Mrs Prochak, of Robertsbridge High Street, said: "We've got eight pitches in Robertsbridge and two extra ones would make ten. The policy is not to have large sites anywhere and I'd say ten is too large."

The district council has been tasked with finding nine extra pitches by 2028. The Government's planning inspector could yet bump the council's quota to 15.

A former rubbish dump, next to the Fair Lane Travellers' site, has been mooted as somewhere more caravans could go. But crime has been an issue there in the past, Mrs Prochak said.

Sgt Paul Masterson, of Sussex Police, said: "It's certainly somewhere we're aware of. We've had a couple of raids there in the past in relation to drugs, but no more than a council estate in a town.

"We have a Travellers' liaison officer who goes there, but Travellers tend to deal with problems in-house. They are very wary of the police."

Mrs Prochak, while not objecting to the principle of finding more Travellers' plots, pointed out the former dump would cost taxpayers more money, because it is privately-owned. She expressed her concerns to fellow councillors, but her bid to scratch Fair Lane from their 12-site shortlist was voted down.

"They said they didn't want to discuss any specific sites," she said.

"They've delayed deciding anything until the cabinet has visited each of them. I thought, with the link road coming, there could be suitable land in north Bexhill, but apparently that would take too long."

The council is expected to consult residents on their preferred sites next year.