Plans to re-open Mettle Hill Travellers' site are dropped - Cambridgeshire

From Cambridge News

Council leaders have confirmed they have shelved plans to reopen a notorious Travellers’ site after another council launched a rival bid for the land.

The decision has been described as a "victory" for villagers in Meldreth who feared crime and vandalism could blight their community if South Cambridgeshire District Council’s controversial plans, to buy the Mettle Hill site in Meldreth and reopen it to house up to 10 Traveller families, had gone ahead.

South Cambs’ cabinet member for housing, Cllr Mark Howell, said it would have been completely "wrong" and a "terrible" use of public money if the two councils had entered a bidding war.

Meldreth Parish Council launched the counter bid on Thursday, in an attempt to buy the Cambridgeshire County Council owned land.

Cllr Rob Searles, vice chairman of the parish council, said the community was "very pleased".

He said: "It is a victory for the whole village. We are delighted that they have taken on board residents’ concerns. We have a great community and we didn’t want it spoiled."

"Mettle Hill had been a threat to Meldreth for 16 years."

Mettle Hill was shut down in 1996 after it turned into a hotbed of crime and vandalism. More than 4,000 people had signed a petition against the plans.

Cllr Howell added: "We still believe the site was a viable option to meet our future legal obligations for Travellers, but the parish council has put in a rival bid at the market value and it would be completely wrong if we were to pay over the odds and enter into a bidding war.

"If the parish council decides to pull out we will re-enter into negotiations."

County councillor Susan van de Ven said: "Everyone’s hard work has finally paid off. Never before has a piece of county-owned land received bids from both district and parish councils simultaneously, they had to pull out."

Meldreth Parish Council voted unanimously to make a bid to buy the site at a meeting this week and has secured a loan from the Public Works Loan Board to help finance the purchase.

Cllr Searles added: "We are going to consult with residents to see what they would like the land to be used for."

Plans to fund the purchase of two existing Travellers’ sites in the district at Whaddon, and off the A14 near Milton, will be discussed at a South Cambs meeting in January.

see also: The BBC - Mettle Hill Travellers' site: Council withdraws plans

Herts24 - Victory for village after Mettle Hill Travellers’ site scheme scrapped