Updated: New gypsy sites for Leicester are criticised by residents campaigner
Two new sites for gypsies are to be set up in Leicester, City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby announced today.
They will be created at Redhill Way and Greengate Lane near the north east boundary with Charnwood borough.
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City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby
A third site, at Beaumont Way, has been ruled out as unsuitable.
The city council will also explore the possibility of creating two additional sites at Hoods Close, near Beaumont Leys, and Ratby Lane.
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Sir Peter said: "This has been a very hard decision which was never going to be popular but the council has for years put off tackling the issue of unauthorised encampments across the city, which have numbered more than 115 between January 2009 and September 2012.
"We've looked long and hard at the issues people have raised - for example we've agreed to limit the size of the Greengate Lane site to minimise the impact on nearby residents. We're also not planning to allow these sites to expand beyond the planned number of pitches.
"It is no longer enough for us to do nothing, and the extra pitches offered by these sites should be a step towards us getting on top of the problem of unauthorised encampments."
But the chairman of the LE4 Action Group Roy Rollings said: "This is a bad day for democracy. It ignores the thousands of people who voiced reasonable objections to the sites.
"Both are developing greenfield sites and pose road safety risks. We shall oppose them when they come forward for planning approval."
Breaking article with reader comments:
Locations for gypsy and traveller camps in Leicester are announced
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Leicester City Council gypsy and travellers sites consultation ends today
Aylestone ruled out as potential area for new traveller site
Councillors visit some of Leicester's proposed gypsy sites
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Comments
by sonjel
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 7:03PM
“The City Mayor's decisions have been "called-in" under the Council's Constitution by Members of the Wards affected. Pending consideration of the call-in (or its withdrawal) no legally binding action can be undertaken by Officers on the Mayor's decisions.
The call-in will be considered as a matter of urgent business at tomorrow evening's 5.30pm meeting of the Council's Economic Development Scrutiny Committee and thereafter at next Thursday's 5.00 pm Council Meeting.”
by kjannoyed
Thursday, January 10 2013, 8:00AM
“@jollybates, i belive ..i may be wrong but i think there are several petitions on line against the mayor.
even if the mayor is booted out he will still serve his full term i'm afraid...and can only take part in in this petition if you live in the city. So if you live in Birstall you get no say!!!”
by jollybates
Thursday, January 10 2013, 2:13AM
“Just a thought, I have no idea how to run a petition, but if I have enough likes I will start one to get SPS out. I am not in any way political, don't know enough about stuff. But..... someone has to get the ball rolling. If anyone is more able than me, DO IT, 'cos you will do it better! I have no idea and will have to start at the basics! (Which I will have to read up on) YOU do it and I will sign.
Just a thought providing idea! I suggest a person who does not work away, and who has the time to dedicate to the petition. Is this you? Please say yes!”
by anobserver
Wednesday, January 09 2013, 8:33AM
“A simple question,from a common man on a hackney omnibus.What happens,when these "sites"are full,to so called "travellers" and said "travellers" set upon any available bit of ground as they have nowhere to go ?”
by anobserver
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 5:39PM
“sideways observation,just a thought,where are the sites that the Lcc will,i assume have to provide?will they be just stuffed upon an area,as sneaky petes plans upon Birstall ?
i hope they have a site near sneaky petes home or boat.”
by Dazbot
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 2:09PM
“karinfall1955 - hi: we have been educated - they are Irish Travellers, a proper official legitimate recognised ethnic minority, and NOT a bunch of dodgy vagrants on the make. They do indeed have some pretty wooden caravans, too.
It seems the perks of being a recognised minority may be quite attractive. If you were to lucky enough to be one, for example, you could theoretically pitch up on the property of others illegally, wreck the land, and run illegal businesses; then appointed officials will apparently bend so far backwards in legitimising the occupation that they would be in danger of being blinded by the light shining from their own hind-quarters!”
by karinfall1955
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 12:16PM
“Just a minor point, are these really gypsies? I have seen real gypsy caravans and very beautiful they were too. I do believe these are itinerants, or, in these pc times, 'travellers'.”
by Dazbot
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 9:26AM
“It's a hard decision he's taken, squeezing all these sites together on the edge of the city to minimise the number of votes he'll lose. It must also have been 'hard' for him to put them all on the north side of Leicester, as far as possible from his beloved Aylestone meadows.
I'm sure that he realises the great majority of local residents object to the sites, but as a 'great statesman', he must weigh their collective opinion against the necessity of doing whatever the hell he wants. And how can the combined wishes of thousands of 'little people' possibly out-weigh his own opinion?
Still, he is paid pots and pots of money to make these hard decisions, even if it's not as much as he'd like. Maybe he could arrange for another 'independent' remuneration committee to look into a trifling increase in his recompense - another 40k perhaps? Or the grateful people of Leicester could all chip in and buy him a commemorative golden trough? How about a zirconium-encrusted lid for the mayoral water-closet, in recognition of the source of all his great ideas?”
by maxmax16
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 6:51AM
“pete rules ok . democracy is dead.”
by djh_lm1
Tuesday, January 08 2013, 5:20AM
“Why does the LE4 group join with the forgotten estates group? Seems SPS seems to target areas of the city that have a "white" minority? I can't think why Rushey Mead? or Highfield wasn't chosen? More anti-white Racism by our mayor! Appease Labour voters!
Get that petition out. He wou;d still be allowed to run his full term even if the result of the referenfum was a vote to get rid oof the mayoral position.”