Controversial plan for £1.3m Rothwell temporary Traveller stop moves one step forward

Plans for a temporary Traveller stop close to Rothwell are a step closer after the controversial site was backed by North Northamptonshire’s executive panel.

The £1.3m project puts forward a green site next to Junction 3 of the A14 to convert into ten Traveller pitches.

An unsuccessful bid was made to the government in June 2022 to back the project. Now NNC could fund the project themselves, and will go to full council to seek approval for the money through borrowing.

Michael Blissett, who lives in Harrington, called the proposals “flawed and poorly thought out” at the executive meeting on December 21.

He said: “This site is not the right site. It’s too expensive to construct, a wildlife interest, and the A14 and local roads are gridlocked at many times of the day. There are more suitable sites in the area.

“It is totally unacceptable to put this liability again onto the local taxpayers. If it is approved today then it will lead to horrendous financial burdens on the taxpayers with no end to it.”

Currently, North Northants has no stopping places for Travellers passing through the county, which has led to more unauthorised camps - 19 were reported in 2023. Without a site, police do not have the authority to issue section 62 notices, which allows officers to “seize and remove” a vehicle that has failed to move when asked.

Police will have the power to direct Traveller groups to the temporary stopping place if they are found to be camping in an unauthorised area. If they refuse to stay at the stopping point they will then be escorted to the county boundary.

Cllr Jim Hakewell, an independent councillor for Rothwell and Mawsley, said: “There is nothing different from this agenda item than was roundly criticised a year ago. Hundreds of people were astonished by the idea that a lovely green space full of wildlife should be proposed to be dug up, concreted, and effectively destroyed in total.

“There will be massive unrest if you continue it along this path.”

The Junction 3 site was zoned in on by the council due to the “excellent road connectivity” to the county, giving police the ability to direct Travellers “conveniently” to the pitches. The council also highlighted the opportunity to provide better directed support to the people staying there.

Cllr Matt Binley said in support of the proposal: “I understand that this is an issue that we have across the entire local authority and this would be another tool that the police would have in their arsenal.

“Individuals will very publicly say that we must be doing something for certain members of society, however then when something is put forward it’s ‘no we don’t want it here’, or ‘no put it somewhere else’.

“I don’t think there is ever going to be a site that is going to please everybody. It’s about finding the site that works as best as it possibly can.”

The development could be finished by Autumn 2025 - so long as planning approval is given by September next year. It is expected to cost £50,000 per year to run the site once it is established.

Rents and damage costs will be charged to Travellers using the pitches, but the council expects the site to be unoccupied for long periods, meaning no income will be made to cover utility charges in these bouts.

The executive approved the recommendations in the report, which will now be taken to full council in the new year to approve the funding.