Proposed Ringland Gipsy sites 'unsuitable' - meeting told

8:29pm Tuesday 5th February 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By David Deans - Politics reporter

OBJECTIONS: More than 90 people turned up at last night’s meeting to discuss proposed Gipsy sites in Newport OBJECTIONS: More than 90 people turned up at last night’s meeting to discuss proposed Gipsy sites in Newport

AROUND 90 people attended a meeting to prepare objections to two proposed Gipsy sites in Newport tonight.

The meeting at Ringland Centre, conveyed to discuss two proposed sites near the Ringland estate, heard from one member of the travelling community who said they did not want to live on "on top of anybody".

Frank Weston, chairman of the Ringland Matters group that organised the meeting, said they are not against travellers sites but said nominated sites are unsuitable for their intended use.

The man who said he was from the travelling community told the meeting: "We want to somewhere by ourselves and out of the way.

"We don't want to be on top of anybody. We like to be by ourselves... We don't want to be right by there with that big school."

The proposed road safety centre site is next to the newly built Llanwern High School.

Mr Weston said he would like to meet the members of the travelling community who attended.

Ted Jefferies, a Langstone community councillor, outlined objections that residents could give, such as the safety centre's location near a railway line.

The Ringland Matters group was set up to gather objections to two proposed gipsy sites near the estate recommended by a group of Newport councillors.

The policy review group recommended last year that the road safety centre and nearby land on Hartridge Farm Road is Newport's preferred residential Gipsy and traveller site.

The former Ringland allotments site was suggested as a second preferred choice.

However there are worries over transport infrastructure and the fact the site is still in use.

Mr Weston, one of the organisers of the meeting, had told the Argus that the road access is inadequate for the Road Safety Centre to be used as a residential site.

He also claimed that reasons for rejection for sites in the old shortlist, such as Yew Tree Cottage in Bettws, could be applied in the Hartridge and Ringland sites.

However Newport council has said that the same assessment criteria was used for every site.

All 11 short-listed sites that went out to public consultation last year are currently being appraised for their suitability. Gipsy sites must be included in the local development plan which is likely to go out to consultation later this year and recommendations from the 2012 exercise will form the proposed changes to the LDP.

This will go before full council in the spring, after which there will be a six weeks public consultation.

Comments(16)

Votefornoneoftheabove says...
8:55pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Up until April 2012 the preffered sites had been named, even though nobody in Newport wanted a single site. Then we have an election in May 2012 and the people of Ringland vote for Councillor Bob Bright and his party, this is the same coincillor who then decided to look again and review proposed sites costing us more money. He then repays the people of Ringland who voted him in with the new review which stated two of the new preffered sites could now be based on his ward, not to worry too much as he does not live in Ringland. Then when a meeting is called last year he states he cannot comment as being the leader he is not allowed too. Bob you and your party got Ringland into this so it's time to get us out of it ! Far too long the people of Ringland voted for Labour, it is time to stop voting for what your Father - Grandfather voted for and look at the candidates closely, because if we feel that a man who lives in Altyryn is the best person for Ringland then heaven help us. Ask yourself one question, If you really believe in a party you are a member of why go to another ward to get elected. Surely if you believe in the party you should run for your ward in this case Altyryn! In 2017 Bob will probably be retired but if he does come knocking for your vote or even for your postal vote remember Votefornoneoftheabov
e. Ringland needs people who live here!

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Mwy Eira says...
9:55pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Perhaps when they meet with the travelling community they could point out that there in fact two schools next to the site and not one. There is a primary school (Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd) immediately across the road from the site and something everyone seems to have forgotten about. The mornings and afternoons are obviously pretty hectic as the children come from across the city as most come on school buses and cars. So another reason for the travellers to object to the site.

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Robodad says...
7:07am Wed 6 Feb 13

votefornone, what exactly is the point of your off-topic rant?
You say "if you really believe in a party you are a member of why go to another ward to get elected". I think that is obvious, Cllr Bright believes in his party so will represent it in a ward which will vote him in so he can put forward those values in which he strongly believes. Good on him for having conviction even if it does mean representing an inwards looking ward. Surely that is not too difficulty to get your head around is it?

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Mr Angry says...
7:38am Wed 6 Feb 13

I Undrstand the criteria for being a councillor is to live and work in the relevant Town or City , not the specific Ward. Clearly Cllr Bright qualifies there, as for his selection that is a matter for the local RinglandWard Labour Party. As I understand it Cllr Bright has representedthe Ringland Ward since 1974 so he must be doing something right.

As for the people of Ringland voting Labour because Father Grandfather etc. Would you say the same about the voters of next door Langstone who continually vote Conservative ?

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willow181 says...
8:15am Wed 6 Feb 13

This is about the proposed site! As for councillor Bob Bright he knows what he has contributed to this sorry state of affairs! Lets listen to the people who live there but also the travelling community one family attended that meeting last night and they told numerous Ringland residents they do not want either of the SDR sites one of the main concerns is there children and the proximity of that nasty road that has claimed lives of young children of ringland over the years its a busy area why it is even in the running ? Anyway it will be decided by the people running Newport you know the ones doing the magnificent job with the Town Centre .

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Votefornoneoftheabove says...
11:12am Wed 6 Feb 13

Ok lets start with Mr Angry, I think you will find that Councillor Bright was actually a councillor for St Julians when he first started for a while then lost out to the conservatives then decided to go to Ringland. Now for Robdad you have confused me a little, I clearly say that sites had already been decided till we had an election in May, then Labour decided to re run the sites again and come up with a different set. So if you are saying by Cllr Bright having conviction to run as the Labour ward member for Ringland then due to the re run of sites is a good return for Ringland residents who now have to fight off this decision then I believe you are mistaken. Don't really appreciate the comments about Ringland people being inward looking. Votefornoneoftheabov
e

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blackandamber says...
11:18am Wed 6 Feb 13

I would advise any councillor to be very wary of this issue. The voters will not forget who dumps a gypsy site on their doorstep.

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Woodgnome says...
11:23am Wed 6 Feb 13

The Labour Council has made the issue political by pretending there was something wrong with the sites already put in the LDP and pretending they were "concerned" about lack of consultation. So what do they do - put half of 'em in Tory Wards? They choose equally contraversial sites and get bitten by both Labour and Tory Wards!! What a shambles and these amateurs are impacting on our lives.
Get the politics and vote fodder out of local Councils. There are some folk who think it's tantamount to to class treachery not to vote how your father voted. Vote with your concience not how your father voted.

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whatintheworld says...
11:26am Wed 6 Feb 13

willow181 wrote:
This is about the proposed site! As for councillor Bob Bright he knows what he has contributed to this sorry state of affairs! Lets listen to the people who live there but also the travelling community one family attended that meeting last night and they told numerous Ringland residents they do not want either of the SDR sites one of the main concerns is there children and the proximity of that nasty road that has claimed lives of young children of ringland over the years its a busy area why it is even in the running ? Anyway it will be decided by the people running Newport you know the ones doing the magnificent job with the Town Centre .
you know... the ones with a mandate given by the people.


people need to get over Newport Town Centre and stop blaming councilors. Seriously, when was the last time you spent a full day in ANY shopping centre? When was the last time you bought something on the internet? We're at fault for our town centres failing, not councilors, US. If you want the traditional bricks and mortar shops to stay there, stop moaning and GO USE THEM!

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Votefornoneoftheabove says...
3:02pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Whatintheworld, Yes you are absoloutley right we should all use the Town sorry City centre more. You are not right in saying it's not the councillors fault though. Ask your self this, who consented to planning permission for out of town shopping malls in Newport. The answer I think you will find is the planning committee made up of, yes you guessed it councillors. Looking at Newport history that probably would have been Labour councillors. This is why the likes of M&S have to move. Forsight is a wonderful thing but it is the councillors in the past who voted in favour of out of town shopping centres that have helped to kill off the town centre, Newport is just one of many. As for shopping in Newport I do and I will enjoy paying for the car parking as well, another nail in Newport Town (sorry their I go again Citys is what I meant to say) coffin. Newport needs to come up with a plan "B" to help save our town centre, but if you have a plan B as Cllr Chris Evans did then you might just find yourself up for disciplinary action for going against the party. Whatever happened to thinking out of the box, Blue Sky thinking, well that went when Newport turned Red with the Labour party last year. Remeber Votefornoneoftheabov
e because councillors tell you what you want to hear but cannot do nothing otherwise they will get slapped down from the people above, democracy at it's best.

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willow181 says...
5:19pm Wed 6 Feb 13

whatintheworld wrote:
willow181 wrote:
This is about the proposed site! As for councillor Bob Bright he knows what he has contributed to this sorry state of affairs! Lets listen to the people who live there but also the travelling community one family attended that meeting last night and they told numerous Ringland residents they do not want either of the SDR sites one of the main concerns is there children and the proximity of that nasty road that has claimed lives of young children of ringland over the years its a busy area why it is even in the running ? Anyway it will be decided by the people running Newport you know the ones doing the magnificent job with the Town Centre .
you know... the ones with a mandate given by the people.


people need to get over Newport Town Centre and stop blaming councilors. Seriously, when was the last time you spent a full day in ANY shopping centre? When was the last time you bought something on the internet? We're at fault for our town centres failing, not councilors, US. If you want the traditional bricks and mortar shops to stay there, stop moaning and GO USE THEM!
I happen to live just up the hill from the town centre I happen to walk down there most Saturdays for a coffee I would love to shop there but unfortunately there are not many places left there to shop I tend to shop in Cabhoots circus thats a shopping centre Cardiff too even known to take a trip up to Cwmbran shopping centre so I think thats me using City Centres as for Newport City Centre nothing there ! except coffee for me.

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RichardL99 says...
7:17pm Wed 6 Feb 13

It is unfortunate that the topic of Gipsy sites proves to be a very emotive subject. Residents in Ally-yr-yn and Rogerstone have also logged objections about the proposed site in Brickyard Lane but the council ignored it. They even ignored the Chair of the committee that prepared the report....

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Jack Land says...
8:54am Thu 7 Feb 13

How about sending them back to Ireland where they came from. The only reason they're over here is because the Irish had some sense and banned **** sites.
Wherever they go, thefts increase.

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Jack Land says...
8:55am Thu 7 Feb 13

why is p i k e covered in ****?

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pinpong says...
9:04am Thu 7 Feb 13

Ringland have missed the boat. Its a bit late to start having meetings the dye is already set and Booby Bright has decided to kick ringland in the gooleys and put a site over there.
As for other sites. If you listen to the other people they will tell you that their sites are also unsuitable.

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Mervyn James says...
5:34pm Thu 7 Feb 13

I don't know what it is about Bettws, but the gypsies were saying "We don't want to live near you either.."

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