A PADDOCK yards from the banks of the River Waveney is not a suitable location for a gipsy and traveller site, a newly formed opposition group has said.

A PADDOCK yards from the banks of the River Waveney is not a suitable location for a gipsy and traveller site, a newly formed opposition group has said.

During the Easter weekend the new Earsham Residents Committee delivered leaflets to every home in the village, near Bungay, urging residents to write to South Norfolk Council and sign a petition against having a permanent site in the village.

Parish council chairman Gordon Wrigley said he was delighted that residents at a public meeting felt so strongly about the issue that they agreed to form the group to oppose the council proposals.

Mr Wrigley said villagers were supportive of the principle of settled permanent sites for gypsies and travellers, but felt that the two proposed sites, both on a field off Old Harleston Road, were unsuitable.

“The site is in the picturesque Waveney Valley,” he said. “Almost next to it, only a matter of yards away is the River Waveney.

“You can call it Nimbyism but people are entitled to their opinion and if you look at the two sites they are totally unsuitable.

“It's ludicrous that they should pick these two sites - it's next to a pig field so that can't be healthy. One of the other major reasons is that the lane that they will come out of is straight out on to the A143, which would be dangerous for slow moving vehicles.”

He added: “They have not really thought it through.”

A council spokesman said that three permanent sites in the district must be found out of eight on the short list, and that the options in the A143 corridor are the two in Earsham and one site in Brockdish, near Diss.

He said that if the council finds the sites now it could be in line for government grants to fund them, but that delays could mean the locations would be chosen by the government and sites funded by council tax.

The spokesman added: “We thank local people in Earsham for getting involved and engaged in this. We can assure them that their responses will be considered alongside the hundreds of representations the council has received so far.”

He said people could have their say at www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/consultation or in writing to the council.