Stoke-on-Trent City Council no closer to Gypsy site decision - Staffordshire

From the Sentinel

COUNCIL officers have failed to identify a suitable site for a £1 million permanent Travellers' camp – despite examining 44 locations across the city.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council currently owns just one Traveller base, the Linehouses caravan site in Goldenhill.

This only has 33 permanent pitches, six transit pitches, and can accommodate 12 caravans.

The authority says it has an obligation to provide more camps, but the issue is highly controversial and the council is treading carefully over selecting a preferred site.

Now it has emerged that 44 possible sites across the city were identified.

The council asked charity Brighter Futures, which is due to oversee the building of the camp, to investigate each location.

From that process, Brighter Futures narrowed the list down to three sites, which The Sentinel understands were all then discounted by the council.

Reports then emerged that officers had picked out land close to St Thomas More Catholic College, at Goms Mill in Longton, as a preferred site.

Hundreds of people have signed a petition against any proposals for a camp at Goms Mill – while the city council insists the search for a suitable site is still ongoing.

Now Stoke-on-Trent South MP Rob Flello has written to his constituents outlining his opposition to a camp in Longton.

He also plans to write to all city council cabinet members and deliver a petition to Parliament against the scheme at that location.

Mr Flello said: "It seemed to me that the officers didn't want any of the 44 sites identified and that Goms Mill 'will do'.

"I believe the travelling community need proper support, but this site is completely inappropriate.

"I have not met anyone in favour of a camp at that site.

"I will be presenting a petition to Parliament next month, calling on the Government to get the council to abandon this site."

If built, the Government-funded facility would include 15 pitches, each housing two caravans and four vehicles, alongside 15 shower blocks and a communal area.

But according to Brighter Futures, the council has yet to find a suitable site.

Chief executive Gill Brown said: "We are waiting for the council to come up with a site. As far as we understand it, the council has yet to come up with a preferred location."

A spokesman for the city council said: "The council has an obligation to deliver new Traveller sites to meet identified local needs and, subject to this analysis, has been looking at potential sites.

"The process of exploration is still ongoing and absolutely no decisions have been made."