Thursday, January 25, 2007

Southampton's new gypsy site revealed after secret study

The entrance to the Kanes Hill site. Echo picture by Malcolm Nethersole

Resident's in the Swaythling area of Southampton are not happy and I can see why. The Council have finally come clean and revealed that they are to have a 'Transit Site' (Gypsy's encampment to you and I ), foisted upon them on land at Monks Brook, an area of grassland to the east of Stoneham Lane.
The site, which would be managed by the council, would provide basic amenities and services for travellers coming to the area. Anyone who thinks that this won't impact on local residents ought to go and visit the city's existing site in Southampton at Kane's Hill ; it is (and I do not exaggerate) like a war zone. If it were anything other than a transit site it would be closed down immediately on health & safety grounds alone.
Despite claiming to support open government, the Council have as usual acted with total secrecy before presenting the recommendation to open a new camp as a fait accompli. Shockingly, there has been no consultation on alternative sites. The existing site at Kane's Hill could easily be expanded but this proposal has been rejected out of hand. Although officers won't state this publicly, this is apparently because they think different travellers will fight with each other depending on their background and ethnic origin!
The cost of the new site is going to be considerable too, perhaps £2-3 millions for just 12 caravans. Worse, the roads in the area will need extensive changes and this will cost the Council Tax payers a further £1m to £1.6m, assuming that it comes out on budget).
Worse, the proposals to create a permanent site for travellers and gypsies in Southampton will not stop illegal encampments, a leading travellers' rights campaigner has said. To add insult to injury, today Basil Burton, chairman of the National Romany Rights Association, claimed the new site will not be able to accommodate enough travellers.
For concerned residents, a biased 'information sheet' produced by the council on the subject can be viewed here.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

criminal, anti-social, ignorant, offensive, violent, abusive, filthy, etc. etc.
coming to any area near you.....
these people see us 'gorgies' (non gysies) as cash cows, they laugh at us(hand outs, cleaning up there mess, unwillingness to tackle them on noise, pollution, crime etc.)
what about the local residents rights? they will of course be ignored and no action taken no matter what the gypsies do(short of murder, actually, thinking of the poor postman murdered a few years ago outside a camp, not even a murder will be followed up).
Most drive illegally, most are involved with crime, most pay no taxes, most of them pollute, dump, disgard, and defecate were they like.
We are fools to allow it....but we do. Maybe we should all turn to crime, pay no tax, claim benefits etc.
I have decide to end here as this is another pointless waste of comment/time that will have no affect like all before.

11:28 am  

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