Traveller and Gypsy site application goes to planners

Plans for a Gypsy and Traveller site in the heart of North Wales will allow an extended family to keep their culture going, one member of the family has said.
A member of the Traveller family that will call the site home wrote to the planning committee to argue that the new site was needed.

They said: “Finally we have a chance to live the way we were brought up and continue to live where we were born and bred. Living close to friends, family, schools and work. We are really grateful for this opportunity to remain in Denbighshire and yet still be able to follow our cultural traditions.”
 
But some nearby residents of the scheme remain opposed.
The plans will see homes for six households of an extended family that is already resident in the county, and will be managed by Denbighshire Housing. Residents will pay rent and council tax through a social tenancy agreement.
The  council wants to build  the  permanent residential site at Green Gates Farm East near St Asaph, just off the A55.
When the plans had been put out to public consultation as part of the pre-planning process there was uproar from some residents of the city, with a 4,000 signature petition against the proposals being sent to the council.
And one St Asaph county councillor, Peter Scott, said there were still strong opposition to the site.
He said: “I do not believe Greengate’s Farm is the correct location for the residential site. People in St Asaph have given their views at the pre- consultation stage in a petition with over 4,000 signatures and over 700 written objections. We will continue to fight this application on the grounds that the methodology to locate this site was flawed.
“I would urge all residents who want to object do so on valid planning grounds as all previous submissions at the pre-planning consultation stage will not be considered for this application.

“Residents comments must be again be submitted in writing to Denbighshire County Council and hopefully the correct site for this application can be found.”

By Shane Brennan – Local Democracy Reporter