Council to consider £2.7m traveller site plan

Plans for a new traveller site costing nearly £2.7m will be considered by councillors.

Medway Council's cabinet will discuss proposals to develop Wigmore Coach Park, near the M2, into a permanent site with eight pitches for up to 10 touring caravans, with the option of expanding onto nearby land to create a further six pitches.

The estimated cost includes site clearance, landscaping, a play area and utility connections including water, electricity and sewage.

In May last year, families living on the site successfully challenged the council's attempts to remove them, and planning permission for a permanent site was later granted on appeal.

Canterbury County Court found the council had interfered with the human rights of the 15 adults and 14 children who had been living there since July 2023, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Satinder Shokar, a Labour councillor who supported the families, said it was a positive outcome for Medway and the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community.

He said it would provide "greater security for families who fought tooth and nail for a place they could call home".

The proposal comes after planning inspectors raised concerns about a shortage of traveller pitches in Medway.

They found the area would need 56 pitches by 2041 but current plans identified provision for only 26.

Conservative councillor Andrew Lawrence said his group would seek further scrutiny if plans were approved.

He questioned the cost of the scheme and a decision not to carry out a public consultation.

Joseph Jones, from the Gypsy Council, said councils had been required to identify suitable sites since 1994.

He said: "Medway has only provided one site in Cuxton and it's probably stayed occupied by the same families, so there are lots of travellers forced into houses who do not want to be there.

"They could give up that house for people who want housing, if only there were proper sites for them to go to."

Councillors are due to discuss the proposals on Tuesday.

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