Local residents have expressed concern over plans to provide permanent sites for gypsies and travellers in the Calne area. The possible sites are on Oxford Road and Abberd Lane.
From BBC News:
Permanent gypsy sites are to be set up in North Wiltshire after a council was told it could not evict them without providing alternatives... Six possible locations are being looked at - two in Calne, two in Chippenham and two in Wootton Bassett.
After a meeting with Calne Town Council on Thursday, it was decided that a six week public consultation will be held, and another site near Wootten Bassett will be re-considered.
Public Consultation
North Wiltshire District Council is now consulting with local communities on potential sites for use by the Gypsy and Traveller community. Further details of how you can make your views heard to NWDC can be found here. Further information can also be found on CalneTalk. The deadline is 20th June.
16th June Meeting
North Wilts District Council is holding a consultancy meeting on 16th June 2008 at Calne Town Hall.
The Proposed sites
Local Comment & Discussion
- Discussion about the plans on CalneTalk
- Gazette & Herald: Uproar at meeting over traveller's sites
- Gazette & Herald: Gypsy and Traveller report to be considered by council
- North Wilts Council Report
Calne.org.uk is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Last Updated: 4th June 2008
Comments
I think a lot of the
I think a lot of the problems around the whole issue is making the distinction from stupid/racist/prejudice against travellers, and people having a genuine concern about the reputation of the area, the value of their house etc. The fact is that people will have to pay higher insurance and their house value will lower because of this, regardless of what they personally feel about travellers and their lifestyle.
If I owned a house in Calne, and NWDC decided to build anything that would affect the local area and the value of my house, I'd take issue. Regardless of if it's a travellers site, a massive factory, an incinerator, whatever.
It seems a shame that on a
It seems a shame that on a subject as serious as this its turned into a slagging match and putting down a town that despite its historical issues has in recent years slowly turned itself around and is now a reasonable place to live and raise children. The comments of racism towards gypsys are unfounded, and it should be noted that these individuals are not from a specific racial background, merely individuals and families who have adopted a travelling lifestyle, which sadly means they do not contribute financially to the councils seeing fit to provide sites. It is a fact of life that they need to have a site somewhere, and this is always an emotive issue as no one wants them living near them. As no matter how romantic you get about the gypsy lifestyle, they do not contribute financially to the local area, they their presence DOES devalue property in the surrounding area's and in most cases (FACT) the sites are left in a digraceful state for someone else to clean up. Furthermore, whilst people dont like this fact, and it is wrong to predjudice all travellers as a result of the minority, local crime rates do rise with the presence of travellers. If you do not like, or accept this statement, Please factually prove me wrong.
The council is currently looking at the governments proposals. but must remember that they are voted in by the residents of calne and therefore are to represent the views, opinions and intrests of the residents of calne. And by harsh public reactions, albeit some down to either predjudice, or ignorance it is clear that the proposed travellers site, should not be allowed to go ahead.
After twenty years or so of
After twenty years or so of clawing back to some semblance of a reasonable local economy, and the uplift that the various Landsdowne and Porte Marsh developments have brought it would be insane to damage the local economy in this way. What can we do apart from petition? Can we threated a class action suit against the Council? I've never voted for a right wing party in my life but if the mainstream councillors dont do anything effective I can see many more votes going that way.
We have started a
We have started a petition,Against the sites.
if we do not do something they will be here .Both wooten Basset and chippenham has had petitions and meetings.
If you would like to help in any way .please contact me at the calnetalk website
Boo hiss... I could have
Boo hiss... I could have imagined a member of the BNP would come up with such comments. Go on, blame all the woes of the world on people you have yet to even meet, just because the travellers you MAY meet have chosen another different way of life to you!
Keep shouting LIKE THIS and someone may even believe you. I see one or two already agree.
These people you claim all kinds of behaviour for have not even arrived and you are blaming them already! It is blatantly pathetic behaviour. Hysteria gone mental.
As someone said, replace the word Gypsy with another ethnic type (and yes, for all the ignoramuses here, Gypsies ARE in fact a separate ethnic origin as well as Celts, Anglo Saxons and all) and you will see the true colour of the posts on this and other websites.
Gypsies? What, here? In
Gypsies? What, here? In Calne? Huh? No chance, unless we intend to set up an extermination camp for the thieving load of itinerants! We don't need that sort here. My goodness, whatever next? Catholics? Blooming heck, next they'll be expecting us to accept black people as well! Grr. Before you know it, women will demand the vote and it'll become illegal to send children up chimneys.
Stop the rot!
CALNE HAS BECOME A DUSTBIN,
CALNE HAS BECOME A DUSTBIN, WE MOVED HER FOR A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE, FROM THE GUTTER OF S.E.LONDON IN 1999, AND SHOULD HAVE MOVED OUT IN 2001 BECAUSE THE TOWN HAS GONE DOWN & I MEAN DEEP DOWN. HAVE BEEN VISITING RELATIVES HERE SINCE 1965 I USED TO BUY MY SHOES FOR THE YEAR IN THE CLARKS SHOP IN THE HIGH STREET AND LOVED THE BUTCHER THERE, MR GABB I THINK IT WAS. WHY SO MANY NEW HOUSES BEING BUILT SOON WE WILL MERGE WITH CHIPPENHAM, GOD WHAT ARE OUR COUNCILLORS THINKING OF. COME ON ENOUGH IS ENOUGH NO MORE HOUSES OR TRAVELLERS (I WONT SAY GYPSIES ''COS I DONT THINK THE COUCIL KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!) CALNE CAN'T COPE ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
THE SHOPS AINT THAT GOOD EITHER, WHAT WILL A WOOLIES DO? MAYBE THAT LAND ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF QUEMERFORD WILL BRING A BIG TESCOS THEN YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE TRAVELLERS AND GYPSIES THAT YOU LIKE
BUT THINK OF THE PROBLEMS, AND THE GOOD PEOPLE THAT WILL LEAVE TOWN AND YOU'RE LEFT WITH A GHETTO
GOOD LUCK
I'LL BE OUT OF HERE AND LEAVE YOU TO THE DREGGS!!!!!!!!!
I agree with the comment
I agree with the comment above, the idea of gypsies is horrendous! The Lansdowne Park development for example, was built to bring a better class of people into the area, allowing gypsies to "move in" willl only lower the image of Calne further.
Hello Do we need gypsies in
Hello
Do we need gypsies in Calne, it already seems to have the most downtrodden people I have ever seen. All the sites proposed are either too busy with vehicles now, or coud be a site for a large retail park. What would make Calne more liveable and increase the towns economy. Take a guess. Why was this information highlighted in the local paper?
What a disgrace, the price of houses already tumbling nationally, what effect will this have on the house prices?
disgusting.
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