COUNCIL ‘BID TO STEER TRAVELLER SITE VOTE’
Row over briefing reminding members not to ‘add to ignorance and prejudice’:
COUNCILLORS are being put under “unfair pressure” to back plans to set up Anglesey’s first official gypsy and travellers site.
On Wednesday, Anglesey Council’s planning committee will discuss a bid for a 10-berth camp on farmland between the A5 and A55 at Star, near Gaerwen after being initially turned down last month (site pictured inset).
But just days before the crucial second vote - held because committee members went against the advice of planning officers - the council has come under fire for attempting to “engineer the vote in their favour.”
The claims come after officers sent out a document to all 30 councillors last week, titled: “Legal Briefing on disparaging comments about Gypsy Travellers and their sites.”
The document claims “negative comments” have been made by local councillors about the plan and notes that racism towards Gypsies and Travellers is still common.
The briefing stated: “It is important that public figures do not act in a way that adds to the ignorance and prejudice of many members of the settled population.
It goes on to say, “It is important that Councillors comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty when future sites are proposed. Councillors may feel they are representing the views of their constituency.
“However, councillors should represent all of the racial groups in the community they serve, including Gypsies and Travellers.”
But one county councillor criticised the authority for sending out the document.
The member, who did not wish to be named, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Councillors are in place to represent the people who elected them, and expressed valid opposition to the plans when discussed last month. I can’t help but feel, considering the timing of it all, that this is a deliberate attempt to try and put unfair pressure on members and to engineer the vote in the officers’ favour.
“There are so many issues that the public are concerned about, reflected in the strong vote to refuse planning permission last month.
“I think this is truly bad form and councillors should be left alone to make the best decision for their electorate.”
In response, a spokesman for Anglesey Council said: “This legal briefing paper was first issued to all Anglesey council- lors in October 2017 and includes guidance when discussing matters involving Gypsy Travellers. It has been issued again to remind councillors of their obligations under the Equality Act 2010.”
When asked as part of the statutory consultation, Natural Resources Wales and North Wales Police offered no formal objection but the force did raise an observation about the site’s proximity to the A5.
One of the local residents objecting told councillors in September, “I agree we need a site somewhere but travellers deserve better than this one, which is totally unsuitable.”