MORE than 100 Whitegate and Marton residents turned out to protest against potential plans to build a borough-wide Gipsy and traveller transit site in the village.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) compiled a list of 26 sites in May this year, showing possible locations to build a transit site where travellers entering the west Cheshire borough will be directed.

The list of 26 has since been shortened into 22 and Whitegate and Marton looks to be a likely destination for the site with four of the now 22 sites on the list in the village.

A traffic light system is used to show the level of suitability for each site and the site at Marton Villa Farm in Clay Lane, Marton, is the only one out of the 22 that is graded as green (most suitable).

A large group of protestors met at the entrance to one of the Whitegate sites, next to the Whitegate Station House Café, to show mass objection against the transit being placed in the village.

Keith Rayner, chairman of the Resident Action Group, said: “The CWAC proposal to locate these sites far from any support facilities in an area of outstanding natural beauty does not make sense.

“We know that Gipsies and travellers prefer to be near local facilities and these sites are without public transport or shops in the middle of open countryside next to Whitegate Way and are unsuitable for traveller access.

“Spending tax payers’ money developing them in Whitegate and Marton would be a waste of public money when other sites with local facilities already exist that are underused or could be expanded.”

The location of the traveller’s transit site is one issue that will be decided in the CWAC Local Plan (Part Two) and the consultation process on part two of the plan ends this Friday.

If you would like to give views on the location of the Gipsy and traveller’s transit site in the consultation, please visit cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk and find what you need under the consultation tab.