From the South Wales Evening Post
RESIDENTS opposing a second permanent Travellers' site being located in their communities are stepping up their campaigns as the public consultation on the plans enters its final days.
Five sites have been earmarked as possible sites for Swansea's second Gypsy and Travellers' site — one each in Fforestfach, Swansea Vale and Penlan and two in Gorseinon.
In each area a vigorous campaign is being run to oppose the site, including petitions and mass protests.
The consultation on the plans comes to an end this week — leaving the council with a difficult decision to make about which one to choose.
Bob Clay, of the Swansea Vale campaign, said the strength of feeling among people in Llansamlet was demonstrated by the number of names on the petition, which now stands at more than 5,000.
He said: "We believe the strong response to the consultation makes the case absolutely overwhelming.
"We have got absolutely nothing against travelling families but the Llansamlet site is completely inappropriate — for a start it would need a new access road costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, money the council simply does not have.
"We already have one permanent site here, and many of the older residents can remember a pledge being made when that opened in 1987 that there would not be another one here until other communities in Swansea had shared the burden — the council is going back on that, and a lot of people are very angry."
Mr Clay said the petition of names — each one of which had been checked against the electoral register for the ward — would be handed to the council on Thursday.
Feelings are running just as high over the other possible sites. Earlier this month hundreds of people staged a mass protest against the new site being located in Gorseinon, while the town council and chamber of trade have both opposed the move.
Residents, the council and chamber all argue the parcels of land being considered are both unsuitable for a Travellers' site, and have long- established uses.
People in Penlan fighting against the second site coming to their area have also said the land, opposite Penlan common, should be used for their community instead — with ideas ranging from a children's playground to a community centre, housing and shops.
Last year hundreds of residents took the streets to protest against the plans, and campaign leaflets have called for the council to look at "the needs of the whole community".
Similar sentiments have been expressed about the possibility of the second site being established at the former dog track in Fforestfach, with the Swansea West Business Park Forum — which represents 200 firms on the nearby business park — formally objecting to the plan.
Local councils in Wales are required by law to provide adequate accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers. Swansea's only permanent site — in Pant-y-Blawd Road, Swansea Enterprise Park — has been full for some time, and a councillor-led task and finish group has reviewed more than 1,000 local authority-owned parcels of land to find a suitable second site. The shortlist of five candidate sites was revealed by the Evening Post last year.
The public consultation process ends on Thursday. Swansea Council leader David Phillips said: "The council wants the public to play a full part in this process and people will have until the end of March to give us their views.
"No decisions have been made and none will be until after the public consultation has been completed."
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