An open letter has been sent to Copeland council following a fiery meeting in which members selected a controversial site for potential use as Gypsy and Traveller accommodation.
The authority met on July 6 and agreed to move forward with land at Sneckyeat Industrial Estate as the preferred site allocation for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in the borough.
The decision meant dropping Greenbank from consideration and launching a new consultation on the Sneckyeat site.
Councillor Gemma Dinsdale and Whitehaven Town Councillor Edwin Dinsdale have raised concerns about the suitability of the former landfill site.
Mr Dinsdale submitted a question to Copeland mayor Mike Starkie asking how much the proposed site for Sneckyeat would cost.
Mr Starkie said that the council did not know as it was simply acting as the planning authority, marking out a site for potential development. The authority is bound by law to earmark a site for Gypsies and Travellers; but does not have to be responsible for running it.
Now, in an open letter Mr Dinsdale said: “When Mike was running for office he gave the electorate a commitment that he would run the council like a business. What business would enter into a deal when you didn’t know how much the project is going to cost the taxpayers?
“For Mike to claim Copeland are the planning authority and the cost is nothing to do with us is misleading and irresponsible!
He claimed the site “could get access to millions of pounds worth of funding at a time when the squeeze on local authorities, businesses and families has never been as tight.”
Responding in a letter, Mr Starkie said: “As part of the Local Plan process the council does not have to provide a business case or set out how the site will be managed; it only has to provide evidence to demonstrate the site is deliverable/developable.”
He added that for a site to be considered deliverable it should be available “with a realistic prospect that development will be delivered on the site within five years.”
But Mr Dinsdale asked: “How much will it cost for improved access and egress to the site? How much will it cost for security fencing and cameras? Toilet and shower blocks and pitches for the proposed 12 permanent caravans and 12 Traveller pitches?
Mr Starkie said: “Any costs associated with delivering the site will need to be met by the developer, although they may wish to seek appropriate Government funding where this is available.”
