Greens will repeat call for Hangleton Bottom Travellers site at Policy & Resources Committee on Thursday, June 11.
GREEN councillors have called on the Labour-run city administration to urgently revisit the decision that Greens put forward in October 2014 concerning the use of a site at Hangleton Bottom as a temporary Travellers transit site.
They say there is a clear and urgent need for a temporary site whilst the transit site at Horsdean is closed due to construction and will be putting the proposal to the council’s Policy & Resources Committee, this Thursday, June 11.
Green convenor, Cllr. Phelim Mac Cafferty, who is proposing the motion, said: “Our proposal in 2014 to open Hangleton Bottom as a temporary traveller site was rejected by Conservative and Labour Councillors. Today in our city there is nowhere for the Police to lawfully send travellers which has predictably lead to more unauthorised encampments.
“This has resulted in unnecessary legal costs, confusion for the police and inconvenience to residents. There are obvious costs to community cohesion too. We have said from the outset that we need a temporary site while a permanent site is built at Horsedean. This would not only minimise the disruption from unauthorised encampments but it would also help foster better relationships between the settled and traveller communities, giving us the opportunity to deepen the necessary dialogue between these communities.
“We urgently call on the administration to revisit that decision now that the consequences of inaction have become clear. We owe it to all concerned and for the good of all of our city’s communities to find a resolution and Hangleton Bottom is still the only viable option on the table.”
The full notice of motion reads:
Following the announcement by the Labour administration of a speedy review of policy with respect to management of unauthorised encampments in the city, this Committee resolves, as part of this review, to urgently revisit its decision of October 2014 concerning the use of a site at Hangleton Bottom as a temporary Travellers transit site whilst the transit site at Horsdean is closed due to construction.
The Policy & Resources Committee will meet at the Brighthelm Centre in the Auditorium, on Thursday, June from 4pm. The Notice of Motion is Agenda Item 7,d,ii.
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