Datchet Travellers' site plan is 'like lobbing a grenade into village' - Berkshire

From the Ascot Windsor and Eton Express

Plans to create a second Travellers' site in Datchet has been likened to a 'grenade lobbed into the village'.

The Royal Borough is considering putting 10 mobile homes for Travellers on greenbelt land behind houses in Horton Road, to be reached from Mill Place - the site of the existing travellers' site.

Many villagers are bitterly opposed - including Datchet parish councillor Ewan Larcombe - who said: "When those leaflets came through peoples' door telling them of the plan, it was like pulling a pin out of a grenade and lobbing it into the village."

But the 40 or so villagers who packed into a parish council meeting last night in Datchet Village Hall were disappointed to hear members agree to 'hold fire' over the issue for the time being.

Parish chairman Cllr Linda O'Flynn said after the meeting: "A lot of people wanted us to force the issue but we have decided against this because - like most of our villagers - there are many questions we need to ask the borough.

"We need more details about what it actually being considered."

But Cllr Larcombe believes the parish should be taking a stand now.

He said: "Villagers were blissfully unaware of what was being considered. It is dreadful that only 150 households received leaflets telling them of the plan."

A public meeting planned for Thursday at St Mary's Primary School on The Green could well be a more heated affair.

The Borough's head of planning Simon Hurrell and cabinet member for planning Cllr Michael-John Saunders will there. Both could face a barrage of angry questions. The meeting starts at 7pm.

The cabinet itself is due to decide on January 24 whether to go ahead and put in a planning application for a new Travellers' site.