Councillors to decide on Welshpool gipsy site revamp
Thursday 2nd September 2010, 11:02AM BST.
Controversial plans for a £1.3 million refurbishment of a gipsy site in Mid Wales will be decided on by councillors later this month, it has emerged.
Powys County Council wants to transform the Withy Beds in Welshpool, which has been an official travellers’ site since 1982, after it was found to be infested by vermin and unsafe for children.
The Welsh Assembly Government said it would spend £970,696 to improve the site and the county council, which owns it, will fund the remainder of the cost.
The plan has sparked anger among some Welshpool residents, who claim the money could be better used elsewhere.
But county council chiefs said its side of the money would be found through rent increases at the gipsy site.
The problems at the site came to light after the council carried out a feasibility study and report for the upgrading and redevelopment of it last year.
Among problems identified by the report were health risks from a stagnant pond, vermin infestation and littered areas
It also found there was a lack of fire-fighting equipment, of a clearly defined children’s play area, health risks to users from potentially unsanitary conditions, security risks for occupiers and their possessions and safety risks for children.
The council said a number of improvements had been carried out in the past, but they had been insufficient to address what had become “quite serious deficiencies”.
Lee Evans, communications manager for Powys County Council, said the application would go before planners this month.
He said: “Plans for the Withy Beds gipsy site in Welshpool have been submitted and will go before the planning committee on September 21.”
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
- Shrewsbury’s broadband speed one of slowest in UK
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
When most people are struggling having to save, Powys C.C wnats to spend £1.3 on refurbishment for a gipsy site.
This has to be a joke.
How many gipsys live on the site !! How much do gipsy`s pay to live on these sites!!
If its got into a mess they have only themselves to blame, why dont they refurbish it themselves, like most people who own houses have to do, as for vermin (if going by the mess you see when travellers have left a camp, I am not surprised).
So I am not suprised that it has sparked anger
Report abuse