'Travellers' site should be sensitive to environment' - Berkshire

From the Ascot Windsor and Eton Express

The thorny problem of finding extra sites for Travellers was discussed by Royal Borough cabinet members last night.

Members approved a general policy of finding sites that would enable Travellers to integrate easily with residents, while being sensitive to the environment and prioritising people who had links to the area through family or long term residency.

But no decision was made over the controversial question of whether or not to go ahead with plans to place up to 10 mobile homes on a field behind Horton Road, Datchet.

This would directly contradict councillors' avowed belief that greenbelt land is unsuitable for Traveller sites and has caused uproar in the village. Cabinet members will not discuss this particular site until their next meeting in January.

They were warned at last night's meeting by Datchet resident Andrew Brett that they could face legal proceedings if they did go ahead. Mr Brett, who lives in nearby Cobb Close, said: "If you go down this particular path you could be opening yourselves up to a judicial review which I believe you would lose."

But councillors are under pressure. The government is insisting they come up with a five-year list of deliverable sites by the end of March, as well as identifying a further 10-year supply.

This is forcing them to rush, instead of taking time to come up with a policy that can be included in the forthcoming new borough plan.