PROPOSED GYPSY SITE IN BANBURY ROAD (THE WILLOWS)

We wish to object to this proposal for the following reasons.

TOXIC CONTAMINATION

For many years the site was used as an unrestricted public tip. Additionally, the previous owners of the Castle Park - Gladedale Ltd - undertook a survey of the New Waters and found that they are severely contaminated by many toxic substances including cadmium and lead. It was said to be dangerous to dredge it because of the high levels of contamination and the difficulty of finding any site that the dredged material could be safely taken to.
The New Waters is fed by the Tach Brook which flows through the proposed Gypsy site. The toxic substances had come down from an earlier factory site upstream and it follows that the whole of this stream bed is also probably contaminated. This means that the proposed Willows site could also be dangerously contaminated both by the contents of the tip and by the Tach Brook..
Two things occur to us:
(1) The Council could be held responsible for giving gypsies (or anyone) a piece of land to live on that is known to be contaminated and
(2) While we have no objection in principle to permanent gypsy sites, should the Council go ahead with this site and later there is proved to be serious health issues arising, the Council might be liable.

DAMAGE TO CASTLE PARK

Additionally you will be aware that the Castle Park is a Grade 1 Listed Park, and as such the entire park is an important and historic asset for the entire community. The travelling population have not had a good record of environmental protection, and we are concerned that the woodland in the Castle Park opposite the Willows will become a playground for children and an ongoing source of firewood, causing growing environmental damage. The children would in any case have to cross a very busy road with traffic travelling at high speed.
In the interest of protecting our historic heritage, the Willows is a most unsuitable site.