Travellers to get 22 new Shropshire pitches at cost of £1m

Saturday 7th January 2012, 11:00AM GMT.

Travellers to get 22 new Shropshire pitches at cost of £1m

Twenty-two new pitches for travellers costing £1million are to be created on three sites across Shropshire in a move hailed by council bosses as ‘good news’.

The money is part of a £60m Government package to provide hundreds of authorised pitches nationwide.

It is hoped that more official sites will stop abuse of the planning system and improve relations between travellers and residents.
Parkhall, in Oswestry, will receive £520,000 to create an extra 10 pitches. The application is going through the planning process.

Each pitch will accommodate one family and include an amenity block, hard standing to accommodate one touring caravan, a static home and room for two vehicles.

A site in north Shropshire will receive £416,000 to create eight pitches, while a site in south Shropshire will be given £208,000 to build four.

The sites have not yet been revealed.

John Taylor, gypsy liaison officer at Shropshire Council, said he was pleased with the announcement.

He said: “This is good news for the travelling community and subject to planning consent will ease the shortfall of pitches identified in Shropshire.”

The money is being awarded at the same time as new powers are given to local authorities to tackle unauthorised traveller sites and abuse of planning permission.


  1. 1
    Squire

    How much rent and council tax will the travellers have to pay for their pitch?

    Report abuse

  2. 2
    Colin.D.

    At a time when the council are cutting wages and services and raising taxes, spending this amount of cash on people who will more than likely trash the sites is nothing short of madness.

    Report abuse

  3. 3
    john s

    Government package ie tax payers money if they want a permanent pitch pay for it themselves 52k per pitch shocking …

    Report abuse

  4. 4
    rich

    they dont look after these places when they get them ive seen the site near wellington
    its a real mess

    Report abuse

  5. 5
    Simon

    Nothing, as usual!

    Report abuse

  6. 6
    John

    Traveller: One who travels or has traveled, as to distant places.

    Report abuse

  7. 7
    Ed

    Why are the pitches so expensive?

    Report abuse

  8. 8
    HM

    Why are they called ‘travellers’? It seems that travelling is the last thing they’ve got on their mind.

    Report abuse

    • towbar

      Because it allows them to claim ‘no fixed abode’ status, meaning they pay no income tax,no NI,no council tax,and makes them impossible to prosecute for illegally using their untaxed,uninsured,mot-less vehicles on the roads.

      Report abuse

  9. 9
    Michael Wilkinson

    Whilst not against the scheme I would like to know the annual fee for using the site and see how it compares with the domestic rates we pay.
    The travelers are getting these facilities in addition to those available to normal ratepayers.

    Report abuse

  10. 10
    dave

    a disgusting waste of taxpayers money at the best of times but when people are losing their jobs out there this is unacceptable

    Report abuse

  11. 11
    towbar

    Whenever We hitch up our touring caravan to our TAXED,INSURED,and MOT’D car and tow from home base to sites across the UK for weeks or weekends away,my family and I are technically travellers.There the similarity ends.
    Site owners know from experience that allowing ONE travellers van to pitch guarantees failure of their business.They do not accept travellers.
    When WE arrive we must pay an average of £23 a night upfront for the total duration of our stay before being allowed to pitch.Whilst on site we must show consideration for everyone else,abide by the site regulations,and abuse neither the site itself nor it’s facilities.
    Most of the ‘travellers’on these provided sites have migrated to England from Ireland.They pay nothing,destroy every facility provided,and fill the sites with scrap metal,pallets,and anything else they can ‘aquire’.We taxpayers fund the costs.
    Crime levels soar and anyone with a home or business in the area of the site must grit their teeth,pay excessive insurance costs,and watch it’s value drop through the floor.

    Report abuse

  12. 12
    Iron Flag

    Shropshire council say this is good news?! Utter nonsense. Voters need to have a long hard look at shropshire council as it’s arrogance is quite amazing.

    Report abuse

  13. 13
    towbar

    John Taylor,the council ‘mouthpiece’ quite obviously lives nowhere near any ‘travellers’site,either current or proposed.

    Report abuse



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