A few things you REALLY need to know ! Jan 22. 2013 | Comments (0)
The council has a statutory duty to provide Gypsy and Traveller pitches.
Over the next 20 years, the period which this plan will
cover, the council will need to provide an extra 135 pitches.
A pitch consists of a fairly permanent mobile home, a touring caravan, an amenities block and often a shed. There is also room to park and room for visitors to park.
Typically the average number of caravans per pitch is 1.7.
Mr Young (Executive Member for Sustainable Communities - Strategic Planning and Economic Development) has been quoted by the Biggleswade press as saying:
“We will try to
create family pitches, not one large field full of Gypsies and Travellers – we
understand that that would not lead to integration between the settled
community and the Gypsy and Traveller community.
“We are looking to have five to 10 pitches on a site and to leave room
on that site so that, towards the end of the process in 2026, we have room for
any further family extension."
“The key is we are seeking to place families together. One of the enviable things about Gypsy and Traveller communities is their family’s around them.”
So ladies and gents in our humble opinion this issue is not going to go away, and that is why we are as concerned as you for Potton and its neighbours both now and in the years to come.