Newport council should look at one large Gypsy site out of the city - Gwent

From the South Wales Argus

ROMANY Gypsies living on a legal site in Newport say the council could solve its lack of Travellers' sites by building one large out-of-town encampment.

Sam Price, 47, and his partner Colleen Rogers, 48, who live at Brickyard Lane, Allt-Yr-Yn, are worried about plans, which could see a small residential site built next to their encampment.

They say it would be unsightly, would make the rural area overcrowded and access to the site is not suitable for more traffic.

They are worried news of the plans will spread throughout the Gypsies and Traveller community encouraging people to come to Newport, which could ruin the relationship they have built up with the community in the five years they have lived there.

The pair, who live alongside 13 others on their encampment first inhabited by their ancestors in the early 1900s, say the former Speedway site in Lliswerry would be an ideal place to create one large residential site.

They say an out-of-town setting, like those in Shirenewton and Rover Way, both Cardiff, were ideal for those who keep horses, and believe being away from shops and other amenities would not be a problem because most, if not all Gypsy and Travellers, have cars.

Ms Rogers said: "What I would suggest is putting them somewhere where they are not going to interrupt so many people. The less people that are upset the better."

Mr Price added: "We are not city centre people, it's not that kind of life. We are used to being out in the country."

The former Speedway site was one of 11 sites put forward for consideration. Of all the areas considered it received the lowest number of responses from the public.

The Welsh Government recommend no more than 12 plots are put on any one site. Each plot generally contains up to three caravans.

FIVE sites have been put forward for inclusion in Newport's Local Development Plan.

They include a preferred site for a permanent camp at the former road safety centre in Ringland and smaller residential sites on the former Ringland allotments and Brickyard Lane in Allt-Yr-Yn if a need arises in future.

Land at Celtic Way, Marshfield, was chosen as an alternative transit site if a preferred site on the A449 can not be developed.

The areas were chosen from a shortlist of 11 taking into account of 7,100 responses from the public.

Cabinet will consider this, before full council will decide whether to replace five existing sites in the plan with the newly chosen areas next year.