South Warwickshire villagers set for a ‘big fight’ over Gypsy sites

From the Leamingston Spa Courier

People living in Barford are gearing up for a battle to see off Gypsy and Traveller sites in the village area.

Their concerns have been fuelled by reports of Traveller families approaching landowners in the area in a bid to buy up sites.

In a list of 20 possible sites published by Warwick District Council, land at Westham Lane will have 15 pitches.

But land listed for seven pitches (site 16) between Wellesbourne Road and the Barford Bypass is classed as a flood plain for the bypass.

Barford Residents Association said the list of sites puts 11 of them within three miles of the village, including 10 pitches by the M40-A46 junction near the village.

Spokesman Mark Griffin said: “The council will have a big fight on it its hands – there’s going to be huge opposition.”

Around 300 residents attended St Peter’s CE School, where council officials spoke about sites and the Local Plan, which will see Barford allocated between 70 to 90 homes.

Mr Griffin said: “There was no confidence in the accessibility and suitability of the proposed sites – particularly site 16.

“When you talk about a pitch, most people think of room for one caravan, but they are 500 square metres for one permanent caravan, one mobile caravan, one permanent building for lavatory and wash facilities and space for two cars. ”

Mr Griffin said sites should be incorporated within housing proposed for south of Warwick and said they based their opposition on the grounds of green belt intrusion, access problems, traffic and the strain on the village school.

He said the council’s need for sites was based on “flaws” in a university report being studied closely by “professional people” in the village.

John Murphy, chairman of Barford, Sherbourne and Wasperton Joint Parish Council, said: “There’s incredulity about the need to provide so many sites. Can we trust the research done by the University of Salford?”