Anger as fifth gipsy site planned in village
People living in Essington have vowed to fight a new proposal to create a fifth gipsy site in their community.
People in Long Lane attended a public meeting to discuss the third application in 18 months to create the site in a residential area.
The proposed site backs onto a number of homes in Long Lane and parish councillor David Clifft said it would accommodate one caravan.
He said residents are furious that despite the proposal being refused on two occasions within 18 months the idea is back on the table.
Councillor Clifft said: "Every council has had to produce a site allocation document which includes potential new gipsy sites.
"South Staffordshire are in consultation, we have got to find 30 plots between now and 2028 and at the moment it is in consultation because there are options being put forward including two in Essington.
"I've had two public meetings and the one site that is going to be extended, there isn't too much concern, but the one in Long Lane, people are concerned.
"It is a residential area so the plot would back on to the gardens of the existing houses and people are concerned about it extending in the future."
He added: "Residents fear that should this new site be allowed it would grow over a number of years."
At a public meeting held last week at Wyrley Juniors FC, residents vowed to mount a campaign to fight the proposal.
However, in a separate public meeting held on Monday at Essington Community Centre regarding an existing site in Bursnips Road and owned by the Clee family, residents voted in favour of the proposal to increase the site by three plots.
Councillor Clifft who chaired both public meetings, said: "Both Councillor Pete Lever and myself will go away and consider the views of all the residents from both meetings before forming a written recommendation."
At the meetings residents were able to discuss the South Staffordshire Local Plan Site Allocations Preferred Options document.
The document is proposing an extension to existing gipsy site and one new pitch in Essington. A consultation on the proposals has started and closes on February 15.
