Anger over errors in report on gipsy sites

Arun District Council today began seven weeks of consultation about using four locations in Eastergate, Westergate and Barnham to overcome its lack of official plots for travellers.

But the proposals in a report by consultants Baker Associates hired by the council were strongly criticised at a meeting of about 90 residents in Eastergate on Tuesday night.

The recommendations are for Nova Paddocks in Eastergate Lane, 2 Wyndham Acres in Northfields Lane, Westergate, The Paddocks in Northfield Lane and County Nursery in Yapton Road, Barnham, to be among the seven chosen sites.

Arun has to find at least 14 pitches for gipsies and travellers up to 2016. A pitch is defined as a household. It will have room for a permanent caravan and a mobile caravan and parking space.

A district councillor for Barnham, Melissa Briggs, said: "The report has mistakes in it. It would have been better to scrap it and re-issue it.

"It would change an awful lot for the people around this table to understand the problems we are looking at."

She explained that a previous attempt to build on Nova Paddocks was rejected by Arun because the land was in the strategic gap designed to separate Eastergate and Fontwell.

The landowner had then sold the site to travellers who were now, it seemed, able to get permission to settle there.

"What signal does this send out to landowners who can't get planning permission '“ that all they need to do to make a profit is to sell to some travellers?" she asked.

Cllr Mick Hutton, Eastergate Parish Council's chairman, said, "I would like to ask why neither Barnham nor Eastergate councils were consulted by Baker Associates when they made their report."

A parish councillor from Patching also strongly criticised the village's inclusion for another of the sites. He said the Baker Associates' report was riddled with errors.

District council chief executive Ian Sumnall acknowledged the Baker Associates report contained mistakes. It was decided to still issue it for consultation and correct the errors after that period closed on April 2.

He explained only a selection of local councils were spoken to by Baker Associates. But that had no bearing on the shortlist.

"The consultation about the final selection of sites starts now. Nothing in the preparation of the report will affect that," he stated.

For Nova Paddocks, the site was selected because it was on the edge of an existing built-up area. He believed the criteria of whether sites were achievable, suitable and available had been followed.

As well as the shortlist, land at Elbridge Cottages next to a car showroom on the A259 in North Bersted has been selected by Baker Associates for further investigation, along with land behind Walberton Lane in Walberton.

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