REBEL councillor Kevin Bennett claims his former colleagues on Warrington Borough Council’s ruling Labour group are in complete disarray over the issue of a transit site in the town.
Kevin Bennett
Now representing the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) the councillor for Fairfield and Howley, said: “Since I revealed Labour’s secret plan to put a transit site for gypsies and travellers off Birchwood Way, the people of Warrington have watched the ruling Labour Group fall into complete disarray”.
“Despite the planned site being on the doorstep of his Ward, Councillor Billy Lines-Rowlands claims that he knew nothing about it. This is despite his fellow Poulton North councillor Geoff Settle being a member of the task group which made the decision and voting on the proposal. Are Labour so divided that councillors in the same ward do not speak to each other?”
He added: “Councillor Maureen McLaughlin has told us that no decision has been made. But she will not deny that this site is under consideration and that meetings have taken place which resulted in senior Labour councillors voting to recommend it for use as a transit site.”
“None of the Labour councillors for Padgate or Birchwood have said a word so they are obviously either in support of the plan or have been ‘gagged’ by the Labour leadership.
“Either way the people of Padgate and Birchwood cannot trust their councillors on this issue. Again I ask, where is the ‘open and transparent’ council we were promised? Where is the council Leader?”
“Last but not least we have heard from Great Sankey councillor Hitesh Patel who has branded anyone with concerns about a gypsy site being placed near their home as a racist. I am disgusted by these remarks. How dare Labour councillors treat the people of Padgate like this. I do not see Councillor Patel offering land in Great Sankey for this site. Who is he to brand people in Padgate racist? The site simply needs to be somewhere of mutual consent between the people of Warrington and the travellers for both their wellbeing”.
“This just proves that Labour are out of touch with public opinion. It is not racist to be opposed to a gypsy transit site in a residential area. I am pleased to see that a petition has been set up by the people of this Town against Labour’s secret plans and I will be supporting them. I am also urging all residents to ‘e’-mail, ring and lobby their Labour councillors on this matter.”
Cllr Bennett is also encouraging anyone who is opposed to a traveller transit site in Padgate to join the campaign by emailing him [email protected].
He is also asking residents to sign the online petition CLICK HERE
Paul Kennedy
So far more than 1,400 people have signed the petition in just 48 hours.
Meanwhile Conservative group member Paul Kennedy, who was also on the task group said: “The residents, their elected representatives and the Council have a difficult choice to make, they can either accept the continuation andescalation of illegal traveller encampments or they can look to find a solution.
“No decisions have been made and any proposals made by the Executive Board will be subject to full and open consultation and an open and transparent planning application, with such an application being rejected by the Development Control Committee. In that event any proposed Transit Site would not go ahead.”
1 Comment
The clown prince is scaremongering again. The man is a fool!