Jim welcomes news on Fordham Road travellers’ sites

Following his recent objection to plans by East Cambridgeshire District Council to include two sites on Fordham Road, between the villages of Fordham and Isleham, as potential travellers’ sites in the Local Plan, Jim has welcomed news that neither site will now be included.

Jim recently made representations to the Leader of the Council raising his concerns that neither of the sites on Fordham Road are suitable locations for travellers’ sites as defined by new Government guidelines. The sites are within open countryside and would be highly visible and, in addition, the primary schools in both Fordham and Isleham are full and could not offer places to any children who lived on the sites.  These reasons coupled with the strength of feeling of local residents in both villages, which under Government guidelines should also be taken into account, convinced Jim that earmarking these sites in the Local Plan as potential travellers’ sites would not be the right thing to do.

This week he has received written confirmation from the Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council that neither of the sites will now be considered as part of the Local Plan for the area.

Jim said, “I am glad that common sense has prevailed here. Whilst we must make sure we provide pitches for the travelling community in our area we must also make sure that these are in sensible locations. Having listened to the concerns of local residents and seen the sites myself it seems clear that it is right of the Local Council to drop them from the Local Plan.”