Most suitable Traveller site is right under the council’s nose

THERE’S a patch of land in Matlock that might have been overlooked in the district council’s search for a temporary tolerated site for a family of Travellers.

Each site on the list of 133 potentially suitable patches of land was discussed at varying lengths on Thursday, but district councillors snubbed all the sites put forward by officers.

Included in these dismissals were the 25 sites put forward in Matlock. Some are similar to the 17 sites mooted for Ashbourne, and a few are similar to the town centre locations that have already been used in Ashbourne as temporary tolerated sites.

But no mention was made of a site off Edgefold Road which, on the face of it, could be ideal. Just like the two temporary tolerated sites in Ashbourne – Fishpond Meadow and the Clifton Road Coach Park – this spot in Matlock is close to town centre amenities, relatively level and has good public transport links.

Unlike Fishpond Meadow, it is not close to a large cluster of residential properties, and unlike Clifton Road Coach Park it is relatively well screened by natural hedges and trees.

It is very much in the district council’s possession, and only a handful of its 25 paid parking spaces would have to be sacrificed to give the Travellers room – so, unlike the Clifton Road Coach Park, the impact on shoppers and visitors would be minimal.

This patch of land, overlooking a Wilko store and another, much bigger car park, brings many potential benefits for the Travellers, and it could be far less problematic than Matlock’s Station car park that is currently occupied by one of the two families. It’s certainly more suitable than Ashbourne’s coach park.

It’s the car park for Matlock Town Hall, the seat of the very local authority that has so far failed to find anywhere permanent for the families.

What a shame, if not a surprise, that this potentially suitable patch of district council-owned land has been dismissed so quickly.