County Hall wants Travellers camp plans rejected - Leicestershire

From the Leicester Mercury

Highways officers say controversial plans for a Traveller camp on the edge of Leicester should be rejected.

City council officials identified a plot in Greengate Lane, near Birstall, as suitable for six pitches for Gypsies.

planning application has been lodged.

As the site is close to the border between the city and the county, officers from Leicestershire County Council were asked for their views.

They have said it should be refused.

Officers from Charnwood Borough Council are also opposing the plan.

County Hall has written to the city council raising concerns about pedestrian safety in the area.

It has queried the location of a traffic speed survey carried out by the city, which was done immediately adjacent to the site rather than at points on either side of the access.

It also questioned whether the timing of the survey – 9am to 9.45am on a weekday – complied with guidelines.

The county council further argued the footpath along Greengate Lane was substandard for pedestrians, particularly children.

A County Hall spokesman said: "The final 100 metres of footway into the village is extremely narrow, to a point that two pedestrians cannot pass without stepping in the carriageway.

"No mitigation is proposed to address these concerns."

The county council pointed out the city shortlisted potential sites before new national planning guidance on Gypsy and Travellers sites was issued in March last year.

Terry McGreal, spokesman for the LE4 Action Group, which has campaigned against the Traveller site proposals, said: "Our hope is that the schemes will be rejected at the planning stage.

"Here we have a statutory consultee with expert knowledge of highways saying this plan should be refused.

"I hope that will carry some weight with the city council when it considers this."

The LE4 group ran a campaign when the council proposed 10 pitches for Gypsies and Travellers on the former Corah sports ground, in Red Hill Way, as well as those in Greengate Lane, last year.

It collected 2,700 signatures on a petition, although about 2,000 of the names were discounted because they were of people living outside the city.

The proposals have been submitted by Framework Housing Association, which would develop the plots, though the land is owned by the council.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said he believed the site was appropriate.

But he said: "It will be for the planning committee to take into account the views of all those who have been consulted and to determine this application."