'˜We've had enough'- Residents slam plans to create four traveller sites in North East Derbyshire

Plans to create four permanent residential sites for travellers across North East Derbyshire have sparked anger among residents.
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The sites - earmarked in North East Derbyshire District Council’s Local Plan - are located at Dark Lane at Calow; Dark Lane at North Wingfield; Greenway at Wingerworth and Temperance Hill at Wooley Moor.

The council, which has a legal responsibility to plan for traveller sites, launched a consultation to give residents the opportunity to have their say earlier this month.

But the news has been met with concerns by some residents.

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Norma Andrews, 71, lives on Adlington Avenue, close to the proposed Wingerworth site and a separate development of 300 houses by Bellway Homes.

She said: “Letting Travellers pitch on that land will make it rough for us.

“This feels like no man’s land and this estate has been forgotten about - what else are they going to do to us?

“Last time we had Travellers nearby they left nappies in bushes, and made such a mess that we’re all worried about them being on this estate.

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“I’d like to see the people making this decision have travellers pitched up near them, they wouldn’t have it.”

Another Wingerworth resident, who asked not to be named, intends to set up a petition in opposition of the proposed sites.

She said: “Enough is enough.

“This is an estate that has never been wanted, it’s had no maintenance work done in years, so to propose a Traveller site on top of that is not on.

“This proposal is a crying shame, we’re all worried because we’ve experienced the problems that travelers bring, like rubbish, crime and anti-social behaviour. It makes me lose faith in the council.

“We have had enough of being dumped on like this.”

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Another Wingerworth resident, who asked not to be named, urged others living in the vicinity of the proposed sites to object.

She said: “If we don’t stand our ground on these sites the council will go ahead and allow the Travellers to utilise every small bit of greenbelt land this could even be at the end of your street.”

North East Derbyshire MP Lee Rowley has also spoken out against the plans, which he said were ‘another example of the council failing to engage on important planning matters until it is far too late, not doing things in the best order and then running quiet consultations’.

North East Derbyshire County Council declined to comment due to the plans still being at consultation stage.

The consultation runs until February 15.