I'd like to comment as a local ward councillor for the Church Grove area on the consultation on the relocation of the travellers' site from Thurston Road.

My primary concern is that this could be an emotive issue, which risks playing on or stirring up prejudice against the travellers themselves. The process and the way in which the eventual outcome is handled should as a far as possible seek to minimise those feelings. I therefore wonder if, when the decision is finally taken, a meeting could be arranged between residents and the travellers in a way which allows people to get to know each other and hopefully minimise potential antipathy.

As a ward councillor for both the travellers and for the residents of Church Grove, I have duties to represent the interests of both groups, together with an over-riding duty to minimise prejudice and promote good community relations. I therefore have to discount any arguments which are based on prejudice and xenophobia. I have to imagine that this would be a site inhabited not by travellers but by some other group which did not attract such prejudice.

In my view, this leaves three key reasons for not putting the site at Church Grove:

- access. The only access to the site is through Church Grove which is narrow at the best of times, and worse when cars are parked. I really cannot see how the site could be safely and quickly reached by fire engine and ambulances in an emergency. Quite frankly, these concerns would apply to any residential development of that site.

- proximity to the St Mary's Conservation Area. I really cannot see how it would be in keeping with conservation area status to have a caravan site put right next to it, regardless of who would be inhabitating it.