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Possible new Traveller Site in Datchet -
Local opinion including Horton and Wraysbury
21/11/12 - Awaiting responses from Cllrs Grey and Muir
(For Cllr Grey's previous comments please click here)
Wraysbury Parish Council (extract from Wraysbury News - page 13 - December 2012)
The Parish Council is very grateful to all the residents who came forward and signed the petitions that were presented to the Full Council of the Royal Borough in July relating to the impact additional Traveller Sites would have on the local infrastructure.
Although the Planning Officer’s report did not identified any sites within Wraysbury, this action did support our neighbours in Horton where Borough owned land was identified but has now been withdrawn due to residents’ actions and the actual use of the land being restricted by covenant.
News from your Horton & Wraysbury Borough Councillors (extract from Wraysbury News - page 49 - December 2012)
Planning and Travellers
The Borough has a statutory duty to provide additional pitches for Travellers, including Gypsies and Showmen and is trying to implement this policy. At present nearly 90% of all known Travellers in the Borough are resident in Horton and Wraysbury together with Mill Place in Datchet which is close to Horton. While Travellers, like other minority groups, are welcome in our villages and in our local schools, integration into the wider community will be much more successful if new Traveller pitches are spread more widely around the Borough and your Councillors are working to achieve this. Many of our local Travellers agree and were eager to sign short “marker” petitions which both Parishes recently presented to Council.
http://www.standrewswraysbury.co.uk/
latest news
TO THE PLANNING AND HOUSING OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL
7.00PM - DESBOROUGH 4, TOWN HALL, MAIDENHEAD
I speak on the subject of the possible new traveller site at Datchet on my own behalf and not on behalf of Datchet Parish Council.
I am concerned that this exercise has plunged into a wasteful and embarrassing farce that has resulted in reputational harm to RBWM. On the plus side this issue has not only mobilised but also united a large section of my community.
In my opinion Ward Councillors Grey and/or Muir failed over a long period of time in their duty to communicate the RBWM proposal to Datchet Parish Council and the parishioners of Datchet.
Furthermore at the RBWM meeting on 12th June 2012 Cllr Grey is on record [1] as making his position quite clear. He used the words overcrowded, ghetto and flood plain, and explained that schools, businesses and residents had all experienced problems that related to the travellers.
Yet at the Cabinet Meeting on 27 September 2012 Councillor Grey had totally reversed his position [2] and wrote that he and fellow Ward Cllr Muir would welcome additional sites in Datchet. Even now I do not understand why he did a complete ‘U’ turn?
In my opinion a breakdown of communication plus a complete lack of consistency, openness and transparency then led to further compounding of the problems. I was surprised and shocked when (without warning) Simon Hurrell distributed his A4 letter and map dated 15th November to houses in the Horton Road and Cobb Close areas of Datchet. (I received my copy on 19th November).
Well attended meetings at St Mary’s School on 6th December and Datchet Parish Council on 17th December clarified the position but I was amazed to hear that the Headmistress of St Mary’s School apparently has two different answers to the same question i.e. the politically correct response for public consumption and the truth.
The e-petition currently stands at 750+ signatures and I look forward to this matter being properly addressed and permanently resolved by the use of the forthcoming Datchet Neighbourhood Plan and subsequent referendum.
[the statement ends here with the evidence inserted below]
[1] PLANNING AND HOUSING OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL 12 June 2012
·
Councillor Grey (Ward Councillor for Datchet) informed Members that he believed Datchet already had their fair share of travellers and that if the proposed site in Datchet was approved the area could be viewed as being overcrowded and a ‘ghetto’. Councillor Grey asked the Panel to consider alternative areas such as Holyport or Ascot.[2] CABINET MEETING – 27 SEPTEMBER 2012
The Lead Member for Highways, Transport & the Environment read out a statement from Councillor Grey, Ward Councillor for Datchet, who was unable to attend the meeting. Councillor Grey stated that there were no problems with the traveller residents of Datchet, who were involved in many activities in the community including the recent Jubilee celebrations. Members of the traveller community helped the parish church with repairs and were representatives on the parish council and school governing bodies. There was no pressure on school places. The traveller community co-operated with the council, the police and other authorities. He and his fellow Ward Councillor, Councillor Gary Muir, would welcome additional sites in Datchet.
We the undersigned petition The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to withdraw Datchet Common/Mill Place, Datchet, from its list of identified sites for additional traveller pitches within the Royal Borough.