Traveller site options underway

A council consultation into where traveller sites should be built in south Cambridgeshire has started.

South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) will be asking the public what they think about where traveller sites should be built and planning policies.

By 2021 the district needs to have at least 88 new permanent pitches for travellers, and the council has drawn up a list of options.

The consultation will run for 13 weeks and will include exhibitions.

Portfolio holder for new communities David Bard said: "We recognise that Gyspy and traveller sites are an important issue to the residents of South Cambridgeshire and we are committed to involving the community throughout the process of identifying these new permanent sites."

A range of sites has been identified and tested using criteria agreed after consultation in 2006.

Members of the public will be able to comment on the site options, with the focus on planning issues such as infrastructure, including education and health, access, traffic and parking, noise, pollution, landscape impact, historic buildings, conservation and wildlife.

The consultation ends on 9 October.