Rutland County Council proposes land off Stocken Hall Road in Stretton for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation
A council is being accused of subterfuge after plans for a Gypsy and Traveller site were stumbled upon by village residents.
A one-hectare site off Stocken Hall Road in Stretton is being proposed for housing, Gypsy and Traveller or travelling show people in Rutland County Council’s draft local plan, which went out to consultation at the end of last year.
Matthew Hulbert, of Stocken Hall, described it as ‘very bad news for Stretton’ and says ‘the whole village is up in arms’.
According to Matthew the plans were stumbled upon after residents spotted a sentence relating to the land in the minutes of a village parish council meeting.
By this time a consultation period for the plans had closed and it was too late to submit comments.
“Everyone was absolutely aghast,” he said.
“Why weren’t we told? “
Matthew describes the land as a ‘terrible site in the middle of the village’ but fears it is ‘a done deal’.
The 43-year-old added: “It seems to me they have kept it low-key deliberately because they knew when it blew they would have significant push back, not just from aggrieved residents but from the MP.”
Matthew was among the residents who contacted MP for Rutland Alicia Kearns (Con), expressing concerns that the site lacks amenities and utilities as well as raising disappointment at the lack of specific consultation.
Mrs Kearns wrote to leader of Rutland County Council Gale Waller (Lib Dem - Normanton) requesting she hold an open meeting with the community to listen to their concerns.
“Unfortunately, my suggestion on behalf of residents of Stretton was rejected by the council’s leadership,” she said this week.
“I would encourage all those affected to make the case repeatedly to your councillor. I do sincerely hope the council’s leadership will listen to rightly concerned residents and reflect on their approach.”
She added that she was ‘extremely disappointed’ residents were not made aware specifically of the proposed Gypsy and Traveller site and said that the consultation period for the local plan, eight weeks from November to January, was ‘inadequate’.
Matthew approached the ward councillor representing Stretton on Rutland County Council, Nick Begy (Ind), but claims he was accused of being racist for disagreeing with the proposal.
He said: “When really pushed, he went for the classic ‘you’re being racist’ retorts to anyone raising obvious, and well-founded objections. Why the subterfuge?”
He added: “Bringing racism into this is a really cheap shot.”
A Rutland County Council spokesperson said: “Government Planning Policy requires local planning authorities to make their own assessment for sites that can meet the needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. Equally, there is a requirement that all Local Plans should include fair, realistic and inclusive policies.
“Local Plans must set pitch targets for Gypsies and Travellers and seek to provide a supply of deliverable sites to meet this identified need. The proposed site at Stocken Hall Road was submitted to Rutland County Council for a range of possible housing uses (including gypsy and traveller accommodation) through the February 2022 Call for Sites. Given that Rutland has a shortage of sites to meet the identified need for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation, it has been important to include this as part of the consultation on a Preferred Options Local Plan and provide the opportunity for residents to comment on this proposal.
“The Regulation 18 consultation on Rutland’s Preferred Options Local Plan took place over two months, from November 2023 to January 2024. Information was mailed to homes across Rutland and shared directly with each Parish and Town Council, as well as being heavily advertised online and through the local press.
“Altogether, Rutland County Council received more than 3,000 responses to the Preferred Options Local Plan. All of these comments will be considered before a final draft plan is prepared for Regulation 19 consultation and submitted to the Government for independent examination.”