Romany gipsies tell of Newport traveller site fears (From South Wales Argus)

Romany gipsies tell of Newport traveller site fears

10:35am Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News By David Deans, Reporter

WORRIED: Sam Price, Colleen Rogers and Michaela Price, 24 far left, at their site in Allt-yr-yn

ROMANY gipsies living on a legal site in Newport have told the Argus they are worried that proposals for a gipsy and traveller site next door could spoil their good relationship with the surrounding community.

For five years a Romany gipsy family has lived on a rural site off Brickyard Lane, in Allt-Yr-Yn.

But a list of suggested gipsy sites has proposed one in a field next to the settlement, where both Romany gipsies and travellers live.

Sam Price, 47, said he is deeply concerned that the proposal, if it came to fruition, would put undue pressure on his own community and their limited space.

He said over the last five years his group has made every effort to integrate into the community and has gained their trust.

“My grandchildren attend the primary school and we take every care to keep our site clean and protect the area from fly-tipping,” he said.

Mr Price is worried the group will be on the receiving end of hostility from locals if a site were placed near their community.

“The five years we have been here making a relationship – it will be gone overnight,” he said.

As well as nine Romany gipsies the site is also home to a group of five travellers.

The site has a stables, a bungalow and five caravans, with tenants paying rent. Newport council is now in the last week of a consultation on its long list of 11 proposed sites, due to close on October 4.