Leicester meeting on travellers' camp plans abandoned
A public meeting to discuss proposals for three travellers' camps was abandoned after 400 residents turned up.
So many people from Leicester's Abbey and Beaumont Leys wards arrived at the meeting venue that it was deemed a health and safety risk to let it go ahead.
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Councillors were forced to abandon the meeting, at the Tudor Centre, in Bewcastle Grove, Mowmacre Hill, after the residents tried to pack into a hall designed for 80 people.
Police were asked to attend Tuesday night's meeting. Officers stopped many residents from entering the building once it had become dangerously overfilled.
Abbey ward councillor Annette Byrne said: "We had no choice but to cancel it. Lots of people turned up at about 7.30pm and they were queuing outside – by the end we had about 400 people. Having that amount of people was breaking all regulations."
Councillors are looking for a new venue to accommodate more people and will release details of the meeting in the Leicester Mercury soon.
The three potential sites are in Greengate Lane, Beaumont Way and Red Hill Way. They will house up to 30 families between them.
Coun Byrne said that about 1,000 leaflets had been distributed to homes asking people to attend the meeting and voice opinions.
People who turned up were hoping to ask questions about issues such as the potential impact on house prices and schools.
Many said they were sceptical about the consultation process.
Paul Mayer, 50, who lives near the Redhill site, said: "I want to know whether these sites are going to go ahead regardless of the meetings. I get the impression that they're just humouring the residents and they've already made up their minds – it's a done deal."
John Poole, 63, who lives close to the site of the proposed Greengate Lane camp, said: "The meeting was crazy, all those people packed in together. It was a shambles. Nobody wants the camp, but it doesn't seem to make any difference."
Responding to the concerns, Coun Byrne said: "It's not a done deal, we've been told by the Government that we've got to have these sites in Leicester, so this is what's been proposed.
"It's being consulted on at the minute with residents and the three sites are not official – no decision will be made until the end of the consultation."
The consultation has been extended by two weeks and will now run until Friday, April 13.
For more, or to take part in the consultation, visit:
www.leicester.gov.uk/ gypsyandtravellersites
31 Comments
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by chanlewis20
Monday, March 12 2012, 3:58PM
“in reply to Dazbot...just wondered hun.”
by Dazbot
Thursday, March 08 2012, 1:49PM
“There's some more info. about the Beaumont Leys meeting on the Birstal Parish Council site. Apparently, Soulsby may be there, and "admittance to Beaumont Leys Leisure Centre may be restricted to local residents". So, do they want to keep Birstall residents out of it, even though they're putting two of these sites closer to them than anyone else? Is it about cutting the opposition in half, divide and rule, etc?
So they schedule the meeting for the same night as the Birstall Parish Council meeting, and exclude people from Birstall? Very dirty.
Is Jackie Duffy around to let us know if Birstall residents will be allowed in? We know she reads these forums because of her comment yesterday. We know Soulsby is busy today, but maybe he could suggest making his new Jubilee park into a Jubilee Traveller's Site, with a plaque and everything. He's already getting the money for the sites...”
by johnwells18
Thursday, March 08 2012, 12:50PM
“Just to be clear No I did not post any letters, allthough it was good that someone was active enough to make sure that everyone is informed of potential changes in the area. After all everyone has a right to know and voice their opinion.
And.
The visitors to the Red Hill Roundabout would have the same rights to utilise the accomodation, if it goes ahead, in any of the locations. And I assume that any of us can do so too, if we are in the same situation.
Thanks for the heads up for the forthcoming meetings.”
by Dazbot
Thursday, March 08 2012, 12:26PM
“Hmm, just found a letter from Liz Kendall MP to Peter Soulsby - google "liz kendall greengate" and it's the top result. It was apparently sent in October last year, and it's an interesting read, particularly this bit:
"However, some three years on the family and indeed other travellers are still there, and residents feel that Greengate Lane is now becoming a permanent site by stealth."
And the city council feels an appropriate response is to turn it into a permanent site anyway?”
by Dazbot
Thursday, March 08 2012, 10:47AM
“Why are you asking him, chanlewis20?
Also, I agree with johnwells18 - isn't it 'amazing' how quickly the council acted at Red Hill. They're not usually that quick, are they?”
by BrightStar69
Thursday, March 08 2012, 10:45AM
“"Please get yourself to the meetings that are happening next week
Leicester City Council's Meeting for the Gypsy & Travellers Sites
Monday 12th March 2012
Leicester Leys Leisure Centre, Beaumont Way
Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Birstall Parish Council - Parish Meeting
Monday 12th March 2012
At Village Hall
7pm
Item 1 on Agenda will be the Gypsy & Traveller Sites
Birstall Residents
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bradgate, Rothley, Mountsorrel & Birstall Forum
Wednesday 14th March 2012 at 5.30pm to 6.30pm
Birstall Social Club on Wanlip Lane, Birstall LE4 4JN
Special Meeting for Birstall Residents to find out more about the proposed sites.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please still fill in the questionnaires that can be found online (http://tinyurl.com/82o7gn2) and submit online or print off and post back FREEPOST.
Please keep all your comments coming on here. You need to be constructive otherwise you will be wasting the meeting. Please lets keep all meetings peaceful.
Thanks"”
by chanlewis20
Thursday, March 08 2012, 8:54AM
“John Wells, was you the person handing out them leaflets the other week? through our letterboxes?”
by chanlewis20
Thursday, March 08 2012, 8:53AM
“the travellers on the roundabout were wannabes, they are they ones who give the rest of the travelling community a bad name!
dont associate us travellers and gypsies with them!”
by johnwells18
Tuesday, March 06 2012, 7:21PM
“It is amazing how things can work, if it is in the interest of the greater scheme of things.
Monday before noon. Travellers on the Red Hill Island reported to the city Council. By 6pm they had been visited by the police and have been served with a notice to move on.
By 5pm Tuesday they were no longer on the roundabout.
We would not want it to affect the "consultation" would we.”
by Dazbot
Tuesday, March 06 2012, 1:31PM
“I have heard the latest on the meetings that are going ahead:
The Birstall Parish Council meeting will address the issue as the first item on their agenda at 7pm on Monday 12th March. City Council planning staff are apparently 'not available', but a representative of the Multi Agency Traveller's Unit may be there. Forms for objections will be at the meeting.
The City Council, who are responsible for the proposals, have decided to hold at meeting at Beaumont Leys Leisure Centre at 7.30 pm on 12th March, obviously clashing with the Birstall Parish Council. Quite a coincidence. As johnwells18 mentioned, places will be 'limited'.
The County Council's Area Forum will be held in the Birstall Social Club on Wednesday 14th March. The sites will be dealt with as an extra item, starting from 5.30 pm. The MATU, City Council planning staff, and the Police Sergeant who deals specifically with traveller issues will be present.”