Express & Star

Travellers site confirmed for Coseley

A controversial temporary travellers site will be built in Coseley after council bosses backed plans.

Published
Travellers in Dudley last year

The site will be established on disused council-owned land off Budden Road.

Dudley Council is setting up the site in a bid to tackle illegal camps, which cost tax-payers £150,000 a year in clean-up and legal fees.

Council leader Patrick Harley said: "This is a highly emotive subject and I understand that local people care passionately about their area.

"However evidence from other local authorities indicates that transit sites are used very infrequently and the most significant effect it has is preventing travellers establishing encampments in the area in the first place

"In recent years we have seen a rise in the number of unauthorised camps. These are expensive and cost Dudley taxpayers thousands of pounds in clean-up and legal costs. We want to take action and put a stop to this.

"Creating the temporary travellers' site will give us greater control of our land and cut the time we spend going through the legal process to move travellers that have camped up illegally."

The Budden Road site came out top of a shortlist of 10 potential locations which used a scoring system.

Dudley Council held a public consultation over the plans, with almost 1,600 people taking part. More than half of respondents backed building a transit site in the borough.

However Coseley East ward councillor Susan Ridney said: "I think a lot of residents in Coseley will be angry at the decision.

"We will have another chance during the planning procession to make objections when a planning application is submitted."

One business in Coseley, Commercial Body Fittings Ltd, said it could be forced to move due to increased insurance rates and security concerns - putting 30 jobs at risk.

Several other business offered to buy the land to prevent the move.

The council and police will be able to move travellers onto the transit site from illegal camps elsewhere in the borough, giving them tougher powers.

The site will have water, power and waste facilities. Travellers would be charged a fee for a short stay.

The camp will last for a three-year period.