Purchase order threat on land for gypsy campsite
A COUNCIL could force landowners to sell-up in order to build new sites for gypsies and travellers.
Anglesey Council plans to move “new age traveller” families residing on a lay-by near Pentraeth, to a specially built facility near the Penhesgyn Recycling Centre at Penmynydd.
While a temporary stop for gypsies and travellers, travelling to and from Ireland, is also being proposed for a parcel of land between the A55 and A5, Llanfairpwll and Star.
Talks over Anglesey Council purchasing the land are expected to re-start in the new year, after the designs and costings are finalised.
But members of the council executive have given authorisation for compulsory purchase powers to be used if these talks are not fruitful.
Anglesey Council need to secure a piece of land currently owned by Mr Idris Roberts, to allow access to and from the Penhesgyn site, although they own the actual land where it would be based.
According to the farmer, no agreement has been reached.
“I haven’t heard from the council in some time, but when I sought legal advice, I was told that compulsory purchase powers could be used,” said Mr Roberts.
“To be frank, if that’s the case, my hands are tied and I won’t have much say in the matter.
“I have allowed surveryors onto the field, but also made it clear that I wasn’t happy about selling the land.”
Anglesey Council leader, Ieuan Williams, emphasised that compulsory powers would only be used if ‘absoloutely necessary’.
Cllr Meirion Jones, whose Aethwy ward includes Penhesgyn, added during Monday’s meeting in Llangefni, that the public ‘deserve to know’ the costs of establishing such sites, adding the importance of having local representation on a specially set up project board.
Housing and Social Services portfolio holder, Cllr Aled Morris Jones, said: “I think we should emphasise that we’re doing this because we have to, its the law of the land.
“The Welsh Government is keen that we do this, and we’re hopeful that Cardiff Bay will pay for the permanent site.
“This issue has been ongoing now for around a year and I thank the officers for their hard work thus far.”
The process of establishing permanent and temporary sites has been an arduous process for the council, who initially planned to develop the currently “unofficial but tolerated settlement” lay-by on the A5025.
But following widespread local condemnation, the plans went out to further public consultation, with the Penhesgyn and Star sites given preferred status over the summer.