Survey to ask travellers where they would like to set up camp

Published on 28th June 2007 in News

New information is to be gathered to determine whether a travellers' site should be set up at Goole and in other parts of the East Riding.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) is to ask traveller communities for their views on where new short-stay camps should be located.

Originally, Goole had been put forward as one of six areas for temporary stopping places.

But this week a spokesperson for the ERYC stressed that new decisions would be made on new information.

"We'll see what the survey says," he said. "We're not pre-judging where there will be a site." The council will consider the number of people living on the three permanent travellers' sites in the area, how many unauthorised camps have been reported and the waiting lists for the permanent sites. They will also speak to gypsy and traveller community groups.

Barry Adams, the ERYC's director of corporate policy and strategy, said: "It's impossible to be too prescriptive at this stage but if we do need to identify a site or sites, they should ideally be within a reasonable distance of essential services and facilities.

"If we do proceed with identifying a site, it will need to be included in the Local Development Framework and the Housing Strategy, which are both being compiled and will both be consulted upon, and eventually go through the planning consent process, which again allows people to have their say."

Initial results from the survey are expected in the autumn and final results by the end of the year.

"Overall, we expect the site selection process, if it is necessary, to take about two years," said Mr Adams.

"Following that would be the planning application process and the construction phase."

In April, 2005 travellers who set up an unofficial site on Glews Hollow left behind piles of rubbish and trade waste which meant an expensive clear-up operation.