Protest rally over plan to set up travellers site at waste centre

A PROTEST rally has been organised about plans to turn a tip into a travellers site.

Public talks are under way on Wakefield Council's proposals for Ossett household waste recycling centre, in Owl Lane, with the issue sparking concerns in both Wakefield and neighbouring Kirklees.

Opponents are worried about the loss of a household waste site and say a former tip is not a suitable place for travellers.

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A protest rally against the proposals has been organised for Saturday, October 2 and people are being urged to attend.

It will begin at 2pm at the Whistler Pub in Leeds Road, Dewsbury. From there it will travel down Bywell Road onto Wakefield Road before turning onto Owl Lane.

A rally will take place outside the Dewsbury Rams Stadium at around 3pm. Anyone wishing to attend should go to the Whistler Pub car park at 1.45pm-2pm.

Dewsbury Tory MP Simon Reevell, who has organised the rally, said: "People on both sides of the border are really upset about this proposal and are not going to take it lying down. I hope as many people as possible come out and support this rally.

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"It's not a long route at all but the sight of people prepared to come out on a Saturday and vent their anger will prove to Wakefield Council that there is a great deal of opposition to this traveller site. We will not go away and I hope the council comes to its senses and drops this idea as soon as possible."

Many people attended a recent public meeting to protest.

Coun Denise Jeffery, deputy leader of Wakefield Council, who attended the meeting, said: "We have a full consultation programme on the sites specific document of Local Development Framework, which is out for public consultation until the end of September.

"No decisions have been made yet and I am taking the views expressed at the public meeting back to the town hall."

The leader of Wakefield Council, Coun Peter Box, has also announced he has written to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles to ask what requirement the Government is placing on local authorities for providing sites for travellers within their local development frameworks, a blueprint for future planning.