Two month wait for Wootton Bassett gypsy site decision (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Two month wait for Wootton Bassett gypsy site decision

2:27pm Thursday 9th July 2009

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Despite an emotional speech from a gypsy about the lack of support from Wiltshire Council, members of the North Area Planning Committee failed to reach a decision on plans for a permanent gypsy site in Wootton Bassett.

At the meeting last Wednesday councillors deferred a decision on whether to allow a seven pitch gypsy encampment at the Glenville Nurseries site on Marlborough Road.

During the meeting Romany gypsy Maggie Smith said the council would have to pay for a large gypsy camp somewhere in the county if they keep refusing to support small scale developments.

She said: “There is local racial hatred.

“This is a small scale site that can be controlled by a set of planning conditions – these are a group of genuine Romany gypsies.”

Chair of the Romany Gypsy Advisory Group Sally Woodbury said there would always be objectors as people do not want a permanent gypsy site close to them.

She said: “The letters of objections are disgraceful for a county that has yet to support a gypsy site.”

Wootton Bassett town councillor Owen Gibbs said the town council was not against the lifestyle of the gypsies but said the plans fell short of policy.

He said: “Wootton Bassett Town Council are not opposed to gypsies, travellers or nudists.

“This application simply does not meet the planning criteria of the local plan 2011.”

Objector David Garland, who lives close to the site, said there were concerns about access to the site, flooding and lack of facilities.

He said: “The site does not have access to reasonable community services and facilities.

“The scale of the development does not respect the scale of the nearest settled community.”

The proposals, which planning officers had recommended refusing, were deferred for up to two months because the planning committee wanted to find out whether there was any evidence of great crested newts living on the site.

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