Gypsy families claim that official travellers' site is 'bad influence'

TWO gypsy families are refusing to move on to an official traveller site – because they are church-going, teetotal and non-smoking.

The families, who want to stay permanently on a site off Sutton Lane in Hilton, have rejected the idea of living at a council-owned traveller site in Foston because, they claim, it houses nuisance youths who drink and smoke.

John Cawley, 40, and his wife, Winifred, 38, who have four children, say the site would be a bad influence on their youngsters.

"Foston is a run-down site which is messy with lots of fly-tipping and has younger people walking around drinking and smoking," said Mr Cawley.

"We want our children to grow up educated and as decent non-drinking and non-smoking folk like we are."

Joe Ward, 37, and his wife Theresa, 33, have six children aged from 10 months to 14 years.

"We are just looking for a nice, quiet, peaceful site away from travelling so our children can get educated," said Mr Ward.

"Neither my wife nor I can read or write and we don't want that for our children."

The families have applied to South Derbyshire District Council to make their current camp off Sutton Lane, Hilton – made up of two mobile homes, two touring vans and two portable amenity blocks – their permanent base, but the plan has already attracted objections.

According to the application the families were based in Nottingham for 10 years before moving to Hilton in November.

They thought being "non-smokers, teetotallers and church-going travellers" would make "integration" on an official site difficult.

The families say they "want to establish a quiet, settled site in order to raise their families".

But 45 residents have reacted against the Hilton application, sending letters and e-mails concerned about fly-tipping, the impact on a nearby nature reserve and the lack of public consultation.

South Derbyshire MP Mark Todd has also written to the district council calling for consultations to be extended.

But some residents in Sutton Lane said that they had no problem with the family's application so long as it did not impinge on green-belt land.

Retired prisoner governor Harold Brown, 76, said: "My only concern is if a site is set up on greenfield land around the village, as that would start the rot in terms of development. I have no problem with the travellers at all."

South Derbyshire district councillor Julie Patten, who represents the Hilton ward, will be speaking on the issue at a planning meeting next week.

She said: "We have several established gypsy sites in South Derbyshire. We are very supportive of all travelling families but this one was set up illegally.

"The land the site is on also has some contamination, which is not suitable for families."

A spokesman for South Derbyshire District Council admitted there had been problems at the official site.

He said: "It is true there have been some issues of concern at the Foston site in the last couple of months.

"However, some residents causing problems have left and the site is currently being brought back into good order."

The Hilton plans are due to be considered by South Derbyshire District Council's development control committee on Tuesday with officers recommending that the two families' application be refused due to the proposed location.