Anger over plans for travellers' sites (Hinckley Times 19/12/08)
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Anger over plans for travellers' sites (Hinckley Times 19/12/08)
by Admin Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:20 am
Anger over plans for travellers' sites
Dec 19 2008 by Sam Dimmer and Sam Thorne
THE PEOPLE of Earl Shilton have blasted the borough council for using the town as a “dumping ground” for travellers.
Furious residents have formed an Earl Shilton Action Group to protest against plans to build a massive 12-pitch travellers site off Thurlaston Lane, which they say could signal the death of the town and destroy beauty spot, Normanton Millennium Wood.
A further seven sites have been earmarked for Groby, Stoke Golding, Newbold Verdone, Cadeby, the A5 at Hinckley, Desford and Stanton under Bardon, but members of the action group say plans to dump a massive site on Earl Shilton are “totally unfair”.
Earlier this year, Government officials asked councils to find new camps for travellers in their area by 2011, with Hinckley and Bosworth ordered to find room for 55 pitches - room for 275 caravans.
Earl Shilton town councillor Alan Greenwood formed the action group with 11 other members and described the plans as “baffling when the town is crying out for regeneration.”
He said: “Earl Shilton is being used as a dumping ground. The borough see the town as out of sight, out of mind and it’s totally unfair.
“A site of this many caravans will provide about 120 adults, and then 140 children. This means that we have to accommodate this many children in schools, which are already under a lot of strain.
“The town is considered to be one of the more deprived areas, and I think to put a site with around 300 people in to the same area would put severe strains on what is already a pretty desperate place.
“They’re just dumping it all on Earl Shilton.”
Each travellers pitch can provide space for five caravans, and residents are also concerned the site will destroy Normanton Millennium Wood and its wildlife, near where the pitch will be.
Councillor Janice Richards (Con, Earl Shilton) said: “I’m not happy about this at all.
“They would be bringing 12 gypsy sites to an area where we have now got an established woodland, where I’ve heard there are Red Kites and all sorts of wildlife - what will these sites do to that?
“People in the town are not happy about this at all - 30% of these travellers sites are going to be allocated to Earl Shilton.
“Lately, we always seem to have the rough end of the stick, and we are working hard to make Earl Shilton a better place.
“The residents have elected us in to do a job for them, so we will be fighting for the good of the residents and the town itself.”
Shop keepers are also wary about the plans, with one, who wished to remain anonymous, claiming that it could severely dent his business.
He said: “We have to take it all with a pinch of salt, but it’s bound to effect local businesses.
“We’ve just got to get on with it, but it’s like being dumped on.
“The town is crying out to be refurbished, we just need the council to help us.”
Another added: “It’s a sore point. It may turn Earl Shilton into a ghost town.”
However, one shopkeeper said she was “cautiously optimistic” about the plans, saying: “Not all travellers are as bad as everyone makes them out to be.
“If you look at Aston Firs, that’s not had a negative effect on Burbage. You can’t afford to be negative about this.”
The borough council have said they are trying to revamp Earl Shilton, with plans for a town centre partnership and neighbourhood action teams in the pipeline.
A spokesman said: “There is quite a lot of activity taking place in Earl Shilton and Barwell now, and they have been recognised as priority areas.
“No decisions have been made on the allocation of gypsy and traveller sites in the borough. We are still in the very early stages of a lengthy process that will continue for another two years.
“At the moment we are still trying to identify possible sites and our initial proposals won’t be published for public consultation until 20 January; so any discussion at this stage is premature.
“Once the draft proposals are published in January, all residents will have six weeks to discuss and comment on them. Final adoption of the proposals won’t take place until November 2010.”
- Sites under consideration include:
A 10-pitch site in Groby, off Sacheverell Way.
A 12-pitch site off Thurlaston Lane, Earl Shilton
Two pitches to the west of the A5 in Hinckley
Four pitches in Stoke Golding, to the east of Wykin Lane
Four pitches on council-owned land in Stanton under Bardon
Four pitches in Nebold Verdon
Four pitches in Desford
One pitch on Bosworth Road, Cadeby.
Hinckley Times Link
Dec 19 2008 by Sam Dimmer and Sam Thorne
THE PEOPLE of Earl Shilton have blasted the borough council for using the town as a “dumping ground” for travellers.
Furious residents have formed an Earl Shilton Action Group to protest against plans to build a massive 12-pitch travellers site off Thurlaston Lane, which they say could signal the death of the town and destroy beauty spot, Normanton Millennium Wood.
A further seven sites have been earmarked for Groby, Stoke Golding, Newbold Verdone, Cadeby, the A5 at Hinckley, Desford and Stanton under Bardon, but members of the action group say plans to dump a massive site on Earl Shilton are “totally unfair”.
Earlier this year, Government officials asked councils to find new camps for travellers in their area by 2011, with Hinckley and Bosworth ordered to find room for 55 pitches - room for 275 caravans.
Earl Shilton town councillor Alan Greenwood formed the action group with 11 other members and described the plans as “baffling when the town is crying out for regeneration.”
He said: “Earl Shilton is being used as a dumping ground. The borough see the town as out of sight, out of mind and it’s totally unfair.
“A site of this many caravans will provide about 120 adults, and then 140 children. This means that we have to accommodate this many children in schools, which are already under a lot of strain.
“The town is considered to be one of the more deprived areas, and I think to put a site with around 300 people in to the same area would put severe strains on what is already a pretty desperate place.
“They’re just dumping it all on Earl Shilton.”
Each travellers pitch can provide space for five caravans, and residents are also concerned the site will destroy Normanton Millennium Wood and its wildlife, near where the pitch will be.
Councillor Janice Richards (Con, Earl Shilton) said: “I’m not happy about this at all.
“They would be bringing 12 gypsy sites to an area where we have now got an established woodland, where I’ve heard there are Red Kites and all sorts of wildlife - what will these sites do to that?
“People in the town are not happy about this at all - 30% of these travellers sites are going to be allocated to Earl Shilton.
“Lately, we always seem to have the rough end of the stick, and we are working hard to make Earl Shilton a better place.
“The residents have elected us in to do a job for them, so we will be fighting for the good of the residents and the town itself.”
Shop keepers are also wary about the plans, with one, who wished to remain anonymous, claiming that it could severely dent his business.
He said: “We have to take it all with a pinch of salt, but it’s bound to effect local businesses.
“We’ve just got to get on with it, but it’s like being dumped on.
“The town is crying out to be refurbished, we just need the council to help us.”
Another added: “It’s a sore point. It may turn Earl Shilton into a ghost town.”
However, one shopkeeper said she was “cautiously optimistic” about the plans, saying: “Not all travellers are as bad as everyone makes them out to be.
“If you look at Aston Firs, that’s not had a negative effect on Burbage. You can’t afford to be negative about this.”
The borough council have said they are trying to revamp Earl Shilton, with plans for a town centre partnership and neighbourhood action teams in the pipeline.
A spokesman said: “There is quite a lot of activity taking place in Earl Shilton and Barwell now, and they have been recognised as priority areas.
“No decisions have been made on the allocation of gypsy and traveller sites in the borough. We are still in the very early stages of a lengthy process that will continue for another two years.
“At the moment we are still trying to identify possible sites and our initial proposals won’t be published for public consultation until 20 January; so any discussion at this stage is premature.
“Once the draft proposals are published in January, all residents will have six weeks to discuss and comment on them. Final adoption of the proposals won’t take place until November 2010.”
- Sites under consideration include:
A 10-pitch site in Groby, off Sacheverell Way.
A 12-pitch site off Thurlaston Lane, Earl Shilton
Two pitches to the west of the A5 in Hinckley
Four pitches in Stoke Golding, to the east of Wykin Lane
Four pitches on council-owned land in Stanton under Bardon
Four pitches in Nebold Verdon
Four pitches in Desford
One pitch on Bosworth Road, Cadeby.
Hinckley Times Link
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Similar topics» Anger Over travellers Site Plans (Hinckley Times 5/12/08)
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Groby Action Group :: HBBC Local Development Framework (LDF) details :: Details of the Proposals and News
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