DDDC Public consultation plan as six possible temporary Traveller sites are identified

Six possible temporary Traveller sites have been identified for debate by a special meeting of Derbyshire Dales District Council's Community & Environment Committee next week.

If councillors agree to the list, the locations will be subject to a six-week public consultation to enable local people to have their say.

The strategy - designed by the District Council's cross-party Gypsy & Traveller Working Group - is that a selection of temporary sites, once approved, will take the pressure off two current sites in Matlock and Matlock Bath station car parks, which have accommodated for more than two years Traveller families to whom the Council owes a legal homelessness duty.

These two sites are among the six to be debated at the 22 July special meeting, which will be streamed live on the District Council's YouTube channel.

Any temporary sites selected and approved following the public consultation process will be used to share the responsibility of accommodating the two Traveller families until a permanent site is identified in the Derbyshire Dales.

A report on possible permanent sites - prepared by local consultants - is also on the agenda on 22 July.

The six possible temporary sites are:

a. Car Park, Old Station Close, Rowsley

b. Land to South East of Hopton Works, Middleton Road, Wirksworth

c. Arc Leisure Car Parks, Morledge, Matlock

d. Station Yard Car Park, Dale Road, Matlock Bath

e. Car Park, Derwent Way, Matlock

f. Land to North West of Cemetery, New Road, Middleton

Another recommendation to be debated is that a temporary but solid separation be established between the current Matlock Station Car Park Traveller site and the rest of the car park - preventing additional unauthorised caravans from entering the general parking area, which is a recurring issue.

Other recommendations are that Officers explore the feasibility of moving Traveller families between sites on a more regularised basis and report their findings back to the Gypsy and Traveller Working Group.

In addition, the Working Group is recommending the adoption of a new code of conduct for Travellers and caravan occupiers.

The Progressive Alliance leading Derbyshire Dales District Council pledged on its formation just over a year ago to finally tackle an issue previous administrations had struggled with for decades.

District Council Leader Councillor Steve Flitter said: "While I don't want to prejudice the debate that will happen on 22 July, I very much welcome the recommendations of the cross-party Gypsy and Traveller Working Group.

"Our new approach on this issue is to take the politics out of this extremely sensitive issue and we also very much want to give local people their say on the recommendations, which are designed to address responsibly the issues around the current encampments. It is clear that the current arrangement is unsatisfactory for the Traveller families and the wider communities involved."

The full report to the 22 July meeting can be viewed online at www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/committee