Protesters see off traveller camp plans (Leicester Mercury 22/1/09)

Plans for a controversial travellers' site have been axed after mass protests.

Hundreds of residents have rallied successfully against proposals for a 10-pitch travellers camp at land off Sacheverell Way, in Groby.

Groby Parish Council has instead offered land it owns in Anstey Lane, close to the A46 and A50, for a camp half the size of the one previously proposed.

The Sacheverell Way site was revealed by the Mercury after a secret document was leaked to the paper after being left in a meeting room late last year.

It showed six new sites and four extended sites proposed by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council to hit Government targets for new sites.
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However, at a meeting on Tuesday night, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council agreed to scrap the Groby site in favour of the one towards Anstey.

Groby county councillor Rob Fraser said: "It proved that this council is a shambles. It should never have got to this point, as the site was clearly unsuitable.

"We are delighted about their decision to scrap the Groby site and a great deal of credit has to go to the action group who have fought so hard for this."

Borough council leader David Bill offered a deal to people who were unhappy with the authority's suggestions to have them scrapped if they found a better alternative.

He said: "We have listened to the public and put another site out to consultation.

"I doubt that the Sacheverell Way proposal will be seen again.

"The problem is that we have been asked to over-allocate pitches because of over-the-top demands from Government and we are making representations to them about that."

Hundreds of worried residents turned out at the council's offices in Hinckley on Tuesday for the meeting.

Groby Parish Council chairman and borough councillor Peter Batty was angry because many were left outside as the council could not accommodate them.

He said: "Groby residents were treated with apparent contempt by the borough council.

"To exclude and leave outside on a freezing cold night council tax payers of this borough who had made a long journey to attend such an important meeting is totally unacceptable.

"All those people could have safely been accommodated in the building and viewed the proceedings over large screen monitors."

The public has eight weeks to submit views about a new batch of top choices for sites. This includes a 10-pitch transit site opposite the Lime Kilns pub on the A5 at Hinckley, and 10 pitches off Reservoir Road, Thornton.

There will be extensions to sites at Garlands Lane, Barlestone; Stoke Lane, Stoke Golding; Desford Lane, Ratby, and Watling Street, Hinckley.

Four pitches off Kirkby Lane, Newbold Verdon and formalisation of a five-pitch site at Copt Oak Road, Markfield are proposed.

Link to Leicester Mercury