Gypsy consultation plans revealed - County Durham

From the Hartlepool Mail

COUNCIL bosses have revealed plans for further consultation meetings about controversial proposals for a potential Gypsy and Traveller site in Hartlepool.

Hartlepool Borough Council initially identified 13 shortlisted sites which are currently subject to consultation but following a recent meeting of the new finance and policy committee, a further three potential sites were put forward for consideration.

Those are Briarfields, off Elwick Road, land at Clarence Road - north of the Victoria Park football ground - and land at Huckelhoven Way/Reed Street.

Consultation events, in the vicinity of the extra sites, will be held at:

l Place in the Park, Ward Jackson Park, on Monday, June 10 between 4pm and 7pm.

l Burbank Community Centre on Tuesday, June 11 between 4pm and 7pm.

l Mill House Leisure Centre on Thursday, June 13 between 3pm and 6pm.

Regeneration chiefs say the consultation period for the additional proposed sites will run until Friday, July 26.

Meanwhile, remaining consultation events relating to the initial 13 shortlisted sites will be held at Throston Primary School, in Flint Walk, on Tuesday, June 4 between 4pm to 7pm and Hartlepool Rovers Rugby Club, in West View Road on Thursday, June 6 from 4pm to 7pm.

The 13 sites are: land at West View Road, Throston Grange Lane, two areas in Burbank Street, Catcote Road/Macaulay Road, Wiltshire Way, Old Cemetery Road, Lennox Walk/Owton Manor Lane, Masefield Road/Gulliver Road, Hart smallholdings east and west, near Hart village, and Summerhill, off Catcote Road

Hartlepool Borough Council launched the consultation after a public inspection into Hartlepool’s Local Plan was halted by Government inspector Kevin Ward who asked for further work to find an appropriate site.

Senior officers have again urged people to have a say.

Damien Wilson, assistant director of regeneration, said: “It’s very important that as many people as possible give us their views on the shortlisted sites.

“It must be emphasised that only one site or a combination of two small sites will be needed to meet the Government’s requirement for between six and ten Traveller pitches and because a site is on the shortlist it does not mean that it will definitely be developed.

“All the comments received will be considered and reported to the council’s finance and policy committee in the summer before being presented to the Government planning inspector who will make a final decision on which site should be included in the Local Plan.”

Consultation documents can also be viewed on the council’s website, www.hartlepool.gov.uk or at the Bryan Hanson House offices in Lynn Street and at Civic Centre in Victoria Road during the normal office hours of 8.30am-5pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8.30am-4.30pm Fridays and at all Hartlepool’s libraries.

For more information, call the council on (01429) 523532.

see also: The BBC - Hartlepool earmarks three more Traveller sites