Plans for a gypsy and traveller site in Newark have been met with early objections, with one neighbour saying the proposed site is in the wrong place.
The former Belvoir Ironworks site on Bowbridge Road has been proposed to enable Newark & Sherwood District Council to meet its targets to provide spots for travellers’ sites.
There is a critical shortage of pitches across the country, and the district needs to find space for more than 160 – around a 50 per cent increase.
However, since planning documents were published last week for the Bowbridge Road site, there have been nearly 30 objections submitted.
Common complaints include the potential for flooding and fears over levels of contamination on the former industrial site.
One woman who lives near to the site told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s the wrong place for it. I’m not against travellers at all – I’m part-traveller myself – but we worry the site will devalue our houses.
“Everybody in the area has objected. It will be right at the end of my garden, so I won’t be able to enjoy it at all.
“It’s always waterlogged, and the flooding gets worse and worse every year. If they cover it with cement and concrete, where’s all that water going to go?
“It’s well known that it’s contaminated as well. It’s just not the right place.”
The application has been made for 15 pitches – each with space for a mobile home and caravan – and an shared facilities building.
The former ironworks site has been disused for several years and has several areas of contamination, which planning documents say will be cleaned up before use.
Several comments say that it would be too close to the existing row of homes on Bowbridge Road, and expressed concern for wildlife on the site.
However, the council says this kind of development is necessary to meet its legal duties.
Council leader Councillor Paul Peacock (Lab) said: “In Newark and Sherwood, currently there are around 400 Gypsy & Traveller pitches.
“The government’s current methodology means Newark and Sherwood District Council must find land for an additional 169 pitches, with the majority (103 pitches) needing to be provided within the next five years.
“By submitting this site on Bowbridge Road for Gypsy and Traveller pitch provision, we are taking the first steps to meet this need.
“As part of the planning application process, consultees – like the environment agency and parish councils – have been approached by the District Council and invited to submit their comments. Local residents also have the opportunity to comment.
“We appreciate that the submission of any planning application may raise questions and concerns, but I encourage you to view the plans on our website for further information or to provide a comment.”
Homeless charity Shelter says there is a national shortage of pitches for travellers and gypsies, with many councils not properly planning for their area.
Advocacy group Friends, Families & Travellers said in 2021 that nearly 1,700 households were on the waiting list for pitches, with barely 100 available across the country.
The Belvoir Ironworks site is one of only four to have come forward since Newark & Sherwood District Council first appealed for travellers’ pitches in 2013.
The other three have already secured permission.
The application is due to be decided by the council’s planning committee this spring.
