LANDOWNER AT WAR WITH HER VILLAGE
Residents of Kirtling have been left outraged after Linda Watson invited travellers to live on her land - but only on condition that they ruin the tranquil Cambridgeshire community
HE said: “This was just a rundown piece of land when I bought it but I’ve spent thousands making it look good. I had a meeting with the council about plans to make a permanent home here and they advised me to put forward a business plan but they’ve told me it was rubbish.
“As for the villagers, what have they done for us? They’ve always gossiped – not one person in Kirtling has put in a letter to help our planning application. We won’t be in this country by the end of October so I tell you this, travellers will be living here in September.
“It’s a very well-to-do village. Most council houses have been purchased and done up. The district council has spent thousands on parts of the area. But with travellers next door, how much will it be worth then?”
And Mrs Watson says she would be “the happiest woman in the world” if the travellers moved in.
Strange to say, this has not gone down very well with everyone else. Writing on the Cambridge News Facebook page, her neighbours appear pretty unimpressed. “Sounds like sour grapes toward the council and residents for her not being able to build a house, nothing to do with helping travellers. That’s just a type of payback or revenge. Sad,” wrote one individual.
Another chipped in: “Spiteful woman. Using the plight of the travellers for her own satisfaction and for the attention. Try helping for the right reasons. One very sad individual.”
Wading into the argument, another resident wrote: “This is a generous offer until you read her reasons for doing it. It’s got nothing to do with compassion.”
Nor is the East Cambridgeshire District Council, which must be pretty used to dealing with Linda Watson by now, very happy. She would need to apply for approval for changing the use of her land before she could invite the travellers to camp there, it said, adding that legal action was not out of the question if Mrs Watson went ahead.
Yesterday Mrs Watson remained defiant: “The council called me earlier to say I can’t do it but I will do it. At the end of the day travellers have had nowhere to stay, I’m providing a solution.”
In perhaps the most surprising twist of all, even the travellers aren’t happy. They do not like being stereotyped as troublemakers, it seems, and are hurt that Mrs Watson thought that their very presence will bring local property prices crashing to the ground. “I would not use the travellers as a weapon,” wrote gypsy1 on the Cambridge News website.
“If you were genuine and tried to help them then you may have stood a chance. I would have been willing to even rent your premises from you but not now knowing you are only doing this to spite others.”
“I agree with gypsy1,” wrote amysmith1958. Just because you cannot get your own way don’t use us as your weapon. I travel all over the UK during the summer months and the one thing we do not do is ruin the area. In fact people come out to offer water and a chat.”
Will they be doing so Kirtling? Watch this space. in