Ditch Coseley travellers site over contamination fears, protesters say
Controversial plans for a travellers holding camp in Coseley should be ditched because the land is contaminated, protesters say.
The Dudley Council-owned land in Budden Road is the favoured spot for illegal camps to be moved on to when they spring up around the borough.
But those against the plan said it was ‘premature’ and warned the site could even pose a health hazard to traveller families as it has been recorded as containing foundry and construction waste. Coseley East ward councillor Susan Ridney said: “We need houses rather than the travellers site. For us it doesn’t matter what our feelings are about travellers, they’re human beings.
“If we’re not prepared to even put a football pitch on there how can we put caravans with babies and children on there. This is contaminated land, whatever your views about traveller families, it’s wrong to put them on there.
“If they’re going to put money into cleaning that site up now, lets clean it up and put housing on it.”
Coseley councillor Melvyn Mottram said: “At the end of the day that land is highly contaminated. We know that there has go to be somewhere for travellers, we can understand the benefits of that.” Councillor John Martin said: “I think it’s premature and my sympathies are with the residents of Coseley.”
It follows the identification of 10 possible locations for the proposed travellers transit site. The other locations are Bott Lane, Lye, the former Helix Factory, also in Bott Lane, Webb Street, Coseley, Blowers Green Road, Dudley, Thorns Road, Lye, Fountain Lane/Budden Road, Coseley, Clinic Drive in Lye, Delph Lane, Withymoor, and The Straits, Gornal.
Council leader Patrick Harley said: “This is not about spending taxpayers money to provide safe havens for travellers to come and visit Dudley.
“It is about providing a response to the problem that we, when we’re spending approximately £150,000 a year to clean the mess that some of the groups leave behind. A transit site is there as a deterrent to try and prevent these groups from having illegal encampment’s throughout the borough.” A scrutiny committee will meet on December 18.
