New temporary traveller site planned for outskirts of Shrewsbury
A £150,000 traveller transit site could be built on the outskirts of Shrewsbury to stop disruption at park and ride sites and business parks.
Shropshire Council's cabinet will tomorrow be asked to approve a consultation on land at Battlefield, Shrewsbury, for use as a temporary traveller transit site.
A report from council officer Tim Smith explains that the temporary site, intended to last for five years, would also allow the authority time to create a permanent site.
It states: "It is considered that the delivery of this site will ease the burden of unauthorised encampments experienced by the council over the last five years, particularly in Shrewsbury on high profile sites/locations such as the park & ride sites and Battlefield Enterprise Park.
"The proposed temporary provision will allow the council time to assess the effectiveness of transit provision in managing unauthorised activity and further time to identify the most suitable site for longer term permanent provision in a strategic location within the county."
Interactive map of the area:
The site would be able to house up to eight families for periods of no longer than three weeks at any one time, according to the report.
The council's cabinet will be told that the site, on land next to between the A5124 Battlefield Link Road and the A528 Shrewsbury Road, could cost around £150,000, but would actually make around £3,000 a month.
Mr Smith said: "The likely costs of construction for this form of basic transit facility are estimated to be in the region of £150,000.
"Further work to confirm the cost of the construction work and to establish how this will be funded will be undertaken following public consultation.
"The land is within the freehold ownership of the council, and there is therefore no additional cost burden for land acquisition.
"Regarding revenue implications, the income generated through rent charges is estimated at £7,000 pa, with employee, maintenance and running costs of £4,000 pa, thus generating a potential net surplus of £3,000 pa.
"Management of the site would be undertaken by the council’s Gypsy and Traveller Service, thus keeping such management costs to a minimum."
The area is a historic part of the county, being the near the site of the 1403 Battle of Shrewsbury, and the council says that a "formal pre-application consultation with Historic England is planned to review any potential heritage constraints to development".
The site is a location which would also be "directly affected by the northerly junction of the proposed North West Relief Road", according to the report.
However, it adds: "It is understood that the development can be constructed without impact on or interference with the delivery of the North West Relief Road at this principal road junction along the northern part of the route and construction of the two schemes will be sequenced to avoid any concurrent working."