Private land could be bought for second Gypsy and Traveller site in Swansea

From the South Wales Evening Post

SWANSEA Council is to look at buying privately owned land for the county's second Gypsy and Traveller site.

Last night the council's cabinet followed a recommendation from the full council that a "whole-Swansea" approach by adopted for the search, rather than just looking at land owned be the authority.

The cabinet has instructed officers to look at the implications of extending the search, though it is not clear how the process will run or how long it will take.

At a meeting of full council on October 21 members had thrown out a report recommending planning permission for two possible Traveller sites — the former greyhound track in Fforestfach and land off Peniel Green Road in Llansamlet — be sought, and asked for more plots to be considered. Now members of the cabinet have voted unanimously to go along with that view.

Councillor Mark Child said: "The recommendation of council represents the best way forward."

The recommendation approved by cabinet says that cabinet "wishes to be satisfied that every avenue has been explored in the process.

"In particular, cabinet intends to adopt a whole-Swansea approach and consider all land options within the City and County of Swansea rather than restricting the process to land in the authority's ownership.

"We instruct officers to provide cabinet with details and/or implications of extending the search to include non-council owned land as an extension of the process."

The county's only existing official site is on Pant-y-Blawd Road on Swansea Enterprise Park.

Martin Saville, Swansea Council's head of public protection, confirmed that once a second site was built, the family currently living on the illegal but "tolerated" site at Swansea Vale would be required to move.