Land earmarked for Gypsies and Travellers in Warwick district - Warwickshire

From the Courier

Around 20 sites will be identified today (Friday) as potential areas for Gypsies and Travellers to set up home.

A vast swathe of land stretching from east, west and south of Warwick to the M40 is included in the search for sites.

Land south of M40 junctions 15 and 14 is also part of the search area.

It also stretches from south of Leamington, around Whitnash, through Bishops Tachbrook to the area around M40 junction 13 and east to the boundary of Warwick District Council.

But alarm bells are ringing with people and organisations in the areas identified.

The Guide Dogs for the Blind is worried of any impact on its national dog breeding centre on Banbury Road, Bishops Tachbrook, where more than 1,300 puppies a year are bred.

Centre manager David Hurst said: “The introduction of a Gypsy and Traveller site near Guide Dogs’ National Breeding Centre would cause us considerable concern.

“This is because of the potential for a new population of pet dogs of unknown health and vaccination status.

“These dogs could carry diseases and therefore bring a serious risk of cross infection to our breeding stock and guide dog puppies.

“Guide Dogs’ National Breeding Centre represents a significant investment by the charity. The site was carefully chosen to be away from existing built up areas and other dog populations.

“The breeding of our dogs is very strictly controlled to avoid the risk of infection to our pregnant bitches and new born puppies, whose immunity and resistance to disease is low.”

While one person, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I was told that Warwick District Council was trying to compulsory purchase one man’s land.”

But the council said compulsory purchase would be “an absolutely last resort” in its recent talks and future negotiations with landowners.

David Barber, the council’s development officer, said government policy requires it to find 31 pitches in the next 15 years and 25 of these must be by 2018.

A recent assessment for the council also found the need for 12 transit pitches.

Mr Barber said official pitches had to be part of its Local Plan and if not found developers may be able to build where they want.

Council figures show that in 2011 there were 26 recorded incidents of illegal camps involving around 200 caravans in the district.

It is also involved in a legal battle to force Gypsies off green belt land near Hatton, where they have lived for three years.

The possible sites were expected to be announced at 1pm today (May 24) on the council’s website www.warwickdc.gov.uk as part of public consultation before a decision by 
councillors.