Cottingley Springs Planning Application arrives

This week we received news that the Planning Application for the expansion of Cottingley Springs Travellers site had been formally lodged. As readers will remember we have campaigned against this proposal from the start because of the impact it will have on local residents - especially Gildersome Village - and the lack of support form the Traveller Community.

The application clearly breaches both Central Government Guidance on Travellers sites - sites are suppose to be developed on brownfield sites - and against the City Councils Policy agreed by Executive Board this week which states Travellers sites should be near local facilities such as schools and shopping centres. This expansion on Greenbelt at Cottingely Springs fails all these tests. The only test if passes is making sure that no Labour held ward has to contribute towards resolving the Travellers issue by passing on the burden to other communities who they believe need to be punished for not voting Labour! Indeed you will hear many of the "Socialists" whinging on about how hard done by the Travelling Community is but that claim to solidarity is easily jettisoned at a point that they might have to explain to their residents that they might need to have Travellers site adjacent to them. Then they get rid of their "Socialist" credentials quicker than you can say Clause 4!

Unauthorised Travellers camps are a burden on hard pressed tax payers and an additional £1 million of tax payers money will be needed if planning permission is granted. Local residents will not accept paying out these large sums for a community they believe contributes very little to resolving their own problems.

Smaller sites may be the answer and other areas need to accept their fair share of the Unauthorised Traveller encampement burden. This means discrete sites - possibly on the edge of industrial estates - where Travellers can set up camp without the significant impact they have on local communities.

We will be gearing up again to do battle with this planning application. This has no support from either local residents or the Traveller Community. It is a political stitch up and must be stopped.