Plans for a permanent travellers' site being considered after days of disruption in district, with land in Birstall earmarked by Kirklees Council

In the past few days, travellers have set up camp at three sites across Kirklees.

On Sunday, June 11, more than a dozen travellers’ vans were reported at Old Bank playing fields in Mirfield.

Since then, All Saints’ Catholic College in Bradley had to close its doors to all pupils, except those sitting their GCSEs and going on a school trip, as a group had occupied its playing fields. Playing fields off Somerset Road in Almondbury have also seen travellers encamp.

This caused the question of whether there should be more provision for travellers in Kirklees to be raised once more.

When the council’s Local Plan came into force in 2019, it included a designated site for travellers. This is a legal requirement set out by the Government and includes provision for 20 caravan pitches.

The site, referred to as GTTS2, is referring to a parcel of land south of Bankwood Way in Birstall.

In March 2019, when such plans were revealed, Coun Mark Thompson (Con, Birstall and Birkenshaw) questioned the logic of creating such a site near a retail park.

He warned that its proximity to the nearby Junction 27 Retail Park contradicted the council’s support for business growth, with the shopping and leisure area raking in around £7.6m in rates for Kirklees each year.

Coun Thompson also pointed out that it was less than three miles from a dedicated travellers’ site at Kidacre Park in Hunslet.

Over a year later, Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman said: “There are a number of traveller sites across Yorkshire and, in my opinion, there should be more.”

Speaking this week, he said: “My first sympathy is with local residents suddenly getting these visitors landing on their doorstep and, because of their track record in leaving rubbish and discarded equipment, are not best pleased to see them.

"The effect on the local environment can be horrendous.

“Kirklees Council has not been able to find a designated area for these people and perhaps we should have another look at it.

"We have no national policy on this. These people have a specialised way of life going back hundreds of years and I make no criticism of that.

“What we need to do is to find some way of accommodating these people who live on the margins of our society but at the same time protecting local residents from this kind of intrusion.

"Let us see if we can have a dialogue with them. It’s a very important problem and of course I want them moved on from residential areas.”

The LDRS asked Kirklees Council whether it would like to have a permanent site for travellers in Kirklees and whether there were solid plans to establish one.

Coun Graham Turner, cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: “We’ve identified a permanent site for travellers as part of the council’s Local Plan, and this is a requirement by the Government.

"The establishment of this permanent site is still under discussion.

“In the meantime, our decisions on how and when a traveller encampment is requested to move are made on a case by case basis.”