County plans travellers site

The county council has not yet lodged the plans with West Oxfordshire District Council but is discussing them informally with planning officers.

The proposed site for five to six pitches is on land owned by the county council next to Witney's sewage works, off Ducklington Lane. It is also close to an abattoir and petrol station.

The chairman of Ducklington Parish Council, Edmund Strainge, said: "People in the village are not very happy, to say the least.

"The site was an old refuse tip for a number of years and I suppose there may be methane gas and other contamination.

"I've done some research and there are 178 pitches for travelling people in each of the five districts in the county, which works out at an average of 35.6 pitches for each district.

"In west Oxfordshire there are 66 pitches on official and private sites, so we already have almost double the average.

"Some travellers have used this land in the past but not recently. To put another site there is completely unnecessary as well as in the wrong place."

Witney's mayor David Harvey said: "I think this is a very bad idea for a number of reasons and a short term measure to a long term problem.

"Housing would not be allowed on this land -- next to the sewage works, a petrol station and abattoir -- so why then is it suddenly good enough for travellers. It's hardly a nice environment for people to live in."

County councillors have the power to grant planning permission and only have to consult the district and parish councils.

County and district councillor Steve Hayward said: "There have not been any travellers on that site for a considerable amount of time and we have a lot of other sites for them in west Oxfordshire. The whole business is haphazard and confusing."

District council planning officer Phil Shaw said: "The county council, as many applicants do, have asked for informal talks about the proposal."