Residents worried over council plans for Nursling Travellers’ site - Hampshire

From the Southern Daily Echo

RESIDENTS are lining up against a neighbouring plot earmarked for a Travellers’ site.

They fear the land on the outskirts of Southampton will become rubbish-strewn and be used by more than one group.

But the Newbury family, who are West Country-based English Romani Gypsies, claim they just want a place to call home where they can access healthcare and education for their children.

Speaking on behalf of them, Maggie Smith-Bendall, from the Romani Gypsy Advisory Group, said there was a lack of local authority funded sites.

She said: “This proposed site would be self funding – hence saving the taxpayers’ much needed money.”

Mrs Smith-Bendall described the family as “very nomadic old English Romani Gypsy group” who travel round the country looking for work and live a traditional lifestyle.

She said: “I have known the Newbury family for many years and do know most of their travelling pattern such as staying in the Devonshire and Cornwall area, attending the Appleby horse fair which is held in Cumbria, and Bridgwater and Priddy fairs which are held in Somerset and many more such events.

“I do support their planning application. My reasons are a need of private sites, access to healthcare, access to education, the Children’s Act, lack of local authority accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers, lack of affordable suitable land on which to build sites.”

The plans are for one static caravan and one touring caravan for one family on land south of Upton Lane, north-west of junction 3 of the M27 and east of Station Road, in Nursling.

Five households have lodged their written objections on the Test Valley Borough Council website.

This included Peter John Guard, of Station Road, who fears allowing the Travellers’ site would “open the floodgates”.

He said: “I could also foresee as has happened in many other documented cases, where once one family has moved in more will follow, indeed it states on the application one family but how large is one family?”

Karen Morris, of Mill Lane, said: “If there is a need to have a site for this use, surely it would make more sense to be placed within a town where the people would have easy access to local amenities and where development is already taking place.”

Ward councillor Phil Bundy said he was “aware of concerns regarding the site” but could not comment further because of his position as planning committee chairman.