South Wales Evening Post - 27 September 2006
Swansea will only get a second traveller site if the Assembly forces the council to build one.
Council leader Chris Holley has moved to quell fears over a possible site in Llansamlet.
Two potential spots in the ward had been earmarked by the council in response to Assembly guidelines.
One is on land behind Asda on Swansea Enterprise Park and the other is in Swansea Vale.
However, Councillor Holley revealed neither will be used for an official site.
He said: "The reality is that this is an Assembly Government policy.
"It is about time they started taking ownership of their own initiatives."We are not opening any more sites in Swansea."
Councillor Holley said that unless the Assembly forced Swansea Council to open a new site in the city nothing would change.
He said: "We have responsibilities for the welfare and education of children of travellers.
"These problems will still be there.
"Assembly members and MPs can tell us we need a site, but not one of them has come up with a suitable place.
"They say that this is the policy, but they do not give us a solution.
"This council is not going to build another gypsy site."The assurance is a relief to residents and businesses who feared they would see an increase in anti-social behaviour if a permanent site was built near them.
Jonathan Hughes, the managing director of Swansea Bakeries, had threatened to relocate his business if a site was built on land close to the bakery.
He welcomed Councillor Holley's assurances that the council had no plans to build a second site in the city.
He said: "Obviously that is good news for us as tenants.
"There is still a problem with the illegal sites up here. They are always left in such a state.
"It is a prime site and ideally we would like to see it redeveloped for a big business to come here."
Councillor Lawrence Bailey, who represents the Llansamlet ward, said travellers had caused problems in Swansea Enterprise Park in the past.
He said: "I'm sure that firms and their employees will be delighted that this ridiculous idea has been dropped.
"But they will also be looking to Swansea Council to protect their businesses from any further illegal camps."
