Shropshire Star

Find more sites call on Telford traveller pitches

Councillors want other areas of Telford to take responsibility for travellers' sites – after agreeing a further extension of an existing site.

Published

Councillor Nigel Dugmore said it was the third or fourth time the traveller site off Lodge Road in Donnington Woodhad been extended and it was time for other areas of the borough to be considered for future locations.

The patch of land had already been used as a transient site where travellers were not permitted to stay for longer than 28 days.

But at a meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee it was agreed to turn the land into a permanent extension of the site, with no restriction on the length of time travellers can stay on a pitch.

Mr Dugmore, who represents the Muxton ward, said: "I have no problems with supporting this but yet again it is an extension of the Lodge Road gipsy and traveller site.

"It is about time other areas of the borough were looked at to have potential sites. There is only so much land that can be taken up."

Councillors also raised concerns about the landscaping of the area, calling for trees and hedgerows to be used to both disguise the impact of the site and provide privacy for the people living there.

The meeting, held at the Whitehouse Hotel in Wellington on Wednesday, heard the approved land had been earmarked as employment land 15 years ago but had remained undeveloped.

Officers ruled that using it to fulfil the need for traveller pitches outweighed the loss of employment land. Due to the approval of the plans, the temporary site at Snedshill will also cease. The plans were unanimously approved by committee members.

The council currently owns and manages two gipsy and traveller sites. The other is at Ketley Brook Caravan Site in Lawley and its 20 spaces are at capacity.

The current site, near Asda Donnington and Shropshire Golf Course, was originally a transient or "overnight" site. But in 1978 it was made into a permanent authorised site which was not purpose-built and work has been ongoing to bring it up to standard.

Telford & Wrekin Council has also lodged plans for a new site off Granville Road in Donnington Wood, which would provide 22 spaces for cars and 22 spaces for caravans.

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