'Thorough investigation' needed over traveller transit site plan
A second site will be part of a "thorough investigation" before a temporary traveller site is built in Dudley borough marking a reprieve for campaigners.
Land near Stourbridge tip is a second contender for the transit site, it emerged after Dudley Council meeting on Wednesday night.
Plans to create the transit site on land at Budden Road, in Coseley, were backed by the council last month despite a backlash from people living nearby.
The Conservative administration is locked in a war of words with the opposition Labour group over the future location for the transit site.
Labour MP Pat McFadden, whose Wolverhampton South East seat covers the area, called it a "betrayal of the people of Coseley".
The council backtracked on the Coseley site last February and sought to find an alternative site when Labour was in control.
Now a council scrutiny committee has moved to recommend more research is carried out on the plan before it is debated by the full council.
Dudley Council's Place Scrutiny Committee chairman, Councillor Matt Rogers, said visits would be carried out to look at both locations.
Councillor Rogers said: "The outcome of the meeting is that we have referred the matter to full council along with many of the concerns mentioned."
Some points from campaigners centred on claims the land at Budden Road is contaminated but Dudley Council says temporary measures have been taken to mitigation.
"Both parties [Labour and Conservative] realise that we have to find a suitable location that can benefit the whole of the Dudley borough," said Councillor Rogers
"We had a huge consultation across the borough and that showed a huge support for a transit site.
"We hope to propose a suitable site in time for spring when travellers will start to come to the borough, and find sites within the borough and neighbouring boroughs, for them to stay.
"The top two sites are Budden Road and Birmingham Street, Stourbridge, the latter of which is a car park to the entrance of the civic amenities site just off the ring road.
"It is such a continuity issue (around finding a suitable location) that we need a thorough investigation of both sites before a final decision is made.
"This will include a site visit to both sites by the committee prior to the full council meeting."
If Labour regains control of the council in May's election in 2020, the site could be scrapped for a second time.
