Report reveals Leeds sites considered for Gypsy camps - Yorkshire

From the Yorkshire Evening Post

Sites across Leeds that were investigated by council officials as potential Gypsy and Traveller camps are revealed in a report to be presented councillors.

The council – awarded £1m to develop new officials pitches to combat the number of unauthorised encampments taking place in the city – last year launched a search for potential sites.

As recently in the YEP, extending the current official site at Cottingley Springs has emerged as the preferred option.

But the report to be discussed by the council’s executive board sets out the scale of the search and lists 35 locations that were given serious consideration.

An initial list of 224 sites and properties was whittled down to 87 that were analysed as part of a “desk top” exercise.

This reduced the list to 65 all of which were visited by officers. Following this around 30 were rated as potential sites and subject to detailed consideration.

Those on the final list were:

Ralph Thorseby, Holt Park; West Leeds Family Learning Centre, Whingate Road; Gassy Fields, New Wortley; Mistress Lane, Armley; the former Liberal Club, New Wortley; Park Lees, St Anthony’s Road, Beeston; the former Matthew Murray School, Holbeck.

Barkley Road, Beeston; Hillside Reception Centre, Leeds and Bradford Road, Bramley; former Copperfields College, Cross Green; former St Gregory’s School, Stanks Gardens; Swarcliffe Avenue, Swarcliffe; former Wortley High School, Swallow Crescent; former Primrose High School, Burmantofts; Asket Drive North, Seacroft; Baileys House, Baileys Hill, Seacroft; Ramshead Approach, Seacroft; Broom Court, Middleton; former Merlyn Rees School, Belle Isle; Middleton Road, between Middleton and the New Forest development.

Ilkley Road, Otley; Intake Road, Pudsey; Swinnow Green, Swinnow Road, Pudsey; Butcher Lane, Barraclough Yard, Rothwell; Brooksbank, Brooksbank Drive, Halton; former Osmondthorpe Primary School, Wykebeck Avenue, Osmondthorpe; Wykebeck Mount, Osmondthorpe; former Whitebridge Primary School, Halton Moor; Halton Moor South (site 10), Halton Moor and Rathmell Road, Halton Moor. All those on the final list were rejected as unsuitable.