Leicester Forest East - Local Planning Issues

• Home
• Contact

• News
• Articles

Community
• Events
• Map of Area
• About LFE
• Clubs and Societies
• Discussion Forum
• Gallery
• Local Shops
• Local Services
• Business Directory
• Schools

Key Issues
• M1 Widening
• Planning
• Samworths

Councils
• Parish Council
• Blaby District
• Council
• Leicestershire
• County Council

General
• Links
• Places to Visit
• Transport & Travel
• Weather
• Disclaimer
•

Local Planning Issues

Comment on This on the Forum | Submit Information | Back to Main Page

Plan For Travellers' Site Revived As Row Goes On - Ratby Lane Submitted by: Admin on Jan 9, 2007

Plans for a controversial travellers' site are back on the cards after city and county council bosses failed to agree an alternative.
More than 3,500 people protested against proposals to open a short-stay camp off Ratby Lane, in Braunstone Frith, last year.

The plans were shelved, but now the city council says it will have to look at the site again.

County council leaders, who strongly oppose the Ratby Lane plans, have come up with two possible alternative sites in north west Leicestershire and say another can be found in Hinckley and Bosworth.

However, city council bosses say these are too far away and do not solve the problem.

Councillor John Mugglestone, city council cabinet member for the environment, said: "The big problem is that I don't believe these will be convenient sites for travellers in the city.

"I find it tremendously disappointing that we've held up on our application to find these sites miles out of the city that are of no practical use to us.

"I feel a little let down. It does seem like we've been screwed over. I don't think they've played the game somehow."

He said the council was being forced to resurrect the plans for a site at Ratby Lane.

"I don't believe there are alternatives," he said. "We've looked at all the alternative sites and this was clearly the hands down winner. We never officially dropped it.

"I need to have a meeting with our officers quickly."

The county council has identified two sites, in Hemington and Lockington, near Castle Donington, with a view to developing one as a transit site.

Council bosses are also working with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council to identify another transit site within its borough.

David Parsons, county council leader, said: "There are two possible sites to the north of the city which could well make a reasonable transit site.

"There's also a move by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council to try and get a site to the west of the city."

He said he did not believe the county sites would be too far away for the city to use, but that both authorities should have camps.

Coun Parsons said: "What we would like is for Leicester City Council to identify a site which is more acceptable than the one at Ratby Lane.

"There's a lot of land in the east of Leicester - I think they should be looking at that."

The Ratby Lane site is next to Kirby Muxloe - the county ward of Coun Parsons.

County bosses have previously suggested land off Hamilton Way in the city could be used - which is in Coun Mugglestone's ward.

Government lawyers have yet to agree whether travellers found illegally camping in Leicester could be moved to a transit site in the county.

At present, the law states they can be moved only within the city boundaries, but council chiefs hope ministers will make the allowance.

Having a travellers' site run by a local authority means police would be given the power to issue immediate eviction notices to anyone in unauthorised areas.

Those moved from unauthorised areas to the council-owned site could remain for 12 weeks.

The Government is offering £5.5 million towards the cost of new travellers' sites in the East Midlands. Councils must submit their bids for the cash by the end of February.

Source - Leicester Mercury