Land not suitable for Travellers site says Lib Dem

8.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 9th Oct 2005

Andrew Simpson - "This land is simply not suitable for a travellers site"

Lib Dem campaigner for Northampton North Andrew Simpson has backed Kingsthorpe residents and local councillors in their efforts to prevent land alongside the Brampton Valley Way in Kingsthorpe being occupied by travellers.

"This land is simply not suitable - not only is it in prime countryside which would be destroyed by putting a site in but it will also have a detrimental impact on the homes in the area" he said.

Andrew attended a meeting of over 1,000 local residents at the former Kinsgthorpe Middle School which heard from the Borough and County Council as well as the Police about their efforts to make sure that the land was not used as a travellers site. The Council's have served a 'stop notice' on the land owners after drainage work started on the site without the relevant planning permission being given.

" We need to protect this area of land from development whether for a travellers site or housing or some other proposal" said Andrew. "It is not simply about the prospect of a travellers site here it is about the loss of important green countryside in an area of natural beauty" he said.

Lib Dem colleague Councillor Sally Beardsworth who represents Kingsthorpe ward on the Borough Council has been chosen by residents in the area to head up a residents association looking at the future use of the land and whether it can be protected for the whole community.

Cllr Beardsworth said "The bottom line is we will try to obtain the land through the association.Starting this association is a formality. Now we start the fight."