‘Kick Gypsy and Traveller site plans into touch’ - Warwickshire

From the Courier

Villagers in Harbury have called for plans to provide sites for Gypsy and Travellers in Warwick and Stratford districts to be scrapped.

Warwick District Council held a drop-in session in the village on Monday to coincide with its public consultation into proposals for preferred and alternative sites - the former of which includes land at Harbury Lane off the Fosse Way.

The initial consultation into the preferred sites received more than 3,500 objections and Rob Darlison, of the Harbury Community Group, said many are opposed to the proposals.

He said; “We feel that it’s about time District and Parish Councils, all over the country, worked with their residents in opposing these flawed plans.

“Various MPs are already asking for this piece of legislation to be kicked into touch.

“To give a sector of society special rights above everyone else is fundamentally wrong; it does not bring about equality but undermines it.

“At a time when all we see are cutbacks in services, with libraries and doctor’s surgeries at risk nationally, it simply makes no sense that councils are wasting a fortune on this.” Of the 238 members of the public who attended the session, 230 signed in opposition to the council’s plans, which reserve the right to invoke compulsory purchase of land where the owner is unwilling to sell.

The six-week consultation into the plan is ongoing.

More information and details can be found on the www.warwickdc.gov.uk website by searching for Gypsy and Traveller site allocations.