Public consultation planned on search for Gypsy Traveller site - Swansea

From swansea.gov.uk

SWANSEA Council is set to begin a major public consultation as part of a search for a second permanent Gypsy Traveller site.

In the coming months the people of Swansea will have the chance to look at potential options for another permanent site.

The search for a second site was conducted by officers reporting to a task and finish group of Councillors prior to the last election.

The group began with a list of 1,006 potential sites which has been whittled down to a shortlist of five. This process was then reviewed by a new group of councillors following the election to assess that it was both reasonable and unbiased.

The plans to be discussed by Cabinet on Thursday include:

• Prior to the consultation two independent reviews (one internal & one external) will be carried out to ensure that the criteria and process used by officers in assessing potential sites were both fair and reasonable.

• If the reviews give the process a clean bill of health a full public consultation will be launched.

• Details of the 1,006 sites will be published, together with the officer recommendations, for members of the public to see and comment on.

• After consultation Full Council will consider the public's feedback and decide whether any of the sites should go forward for planning permission.

Cllr David Phillips, Swansea Council Leader, said: "The Council will be totally open and transparent in its search for a second permanent site. The public will be given all the information that was used in assessing each of the 1,006 sites.

"The public will see how sites were assessed and the reasons why sites were either rejected or accepted.

"The independent reviews will provide public reassurance that every step of the process has been carried out properly and free from bias.

"I want to stress that the Cabinet report is about the consultation process. We will not be discussing any sites during the Cabinet meeting.

"No decisions have been made about where a second permanent site could be created and no decisions will be made until after the public has had the chance to have their say."

Swansea, like other local authorities in Wales, has been looking at the issue in response to a Welsh Government requirement for councils to make sure Gypsy and Traveller families have basic housing provision and the same access to essential services other families do.