Pulloxhill meeting about Traveller Sites

I visited the Old Acre Gypsy site on Barton Road yesterday as I thought it would be important to have an idea of what it was like ahead of the meeting at Pulloxhill Church Hall this afternoon. I have to say the site was tidy and Mr Fury who I spoke to and who runs the site seemed a very pleasant person. He explained his main motivation for setting up the site was to provide the children with a secure education - something they struggled to do when on the move. His children and grandchildren live on the site in eight caravans. He has lived most of his life in Bedfordshire and stressed he was a Gypsy rather that a Traveller.

The meeting in Pulloxhilll Church Hall was just as packed as Flitton Village Hall on Thursday although being a smaller venue I estimate there were around 150 to 200 people there. The meeting was chaired by Roy Van De Poll Vice Chair of the Parish Coucil and the panel again included Cllr Patricia Turner leader of the District Council but this time there was no County representative and no MP on the panel(which meant we kept to the isssue at hand rather political point scoring). Richard Holden who is Planning Services Portfolio Holder at the District Council was also on the panel.

The meeting was much more focused (than the Flitton meeting) on how to respond to the consultation and also the merits of the existing sites in the locality. The Gypsy family from the Hermitage lane site were present and I also think a representative of the Old Acre Site spoke up at one point. It seemed to be generally accepted (but not by all) that given sites had to be found somewhere in the District that the Hermitage Lane site and the Old Acre site on the road to Barton had certain merits as they were small family owned and run sites which were causing no problems. Tricia Turner stressed that in her experience these were the kind of sites which caused least problems and were the type which the council preferred - i.e no more than 10 caravans and privately owned and run. The site proposed in Greenfield Road opposite the school however did not seem to meet the criteria for a good site nor did the two Flitton sites. However she stressed that no decision had been taken and people should express their views by filling in the questionaire or by writing to the Council. The deadline is the 30th April so make sure you get your response in soon. If you would like to talk to me about the issue or want help with the questionaire please phone me on 0780 9873124 or email me on gareth.ellis.flitton@ntlworld.