Village traveller site concern

Residents are gearing up to fight plans for a gipsy and trav-ellers' settlement at Brockdish.

Residents are gearing up to fight plans for a gipsy and trav-ellers' settlement at Brockdish.

Land overlooking the River Waveney has been included on a shortlist of nine potential sites identified by South Norfolk Coun-cil, which is looking to make up a shortfall in provision for gipsies and travellers within the district.

And local people turned out in force at a parish council meeting last Thursday to give their views and hear more about the scheme.

The meeting was attended by more than 140 residents of Brockdish, Thorpe Abbotts and surrounding parishes, including Syleham. Two representatives of the district council also attended to outline its proposals for a permanent gipsy and traveller development next to the A143 Diss to Bungay road.

Concerns raised included road safety issues and the rural setting at the entrance to the village.

A parish council statement said it was a lively debate that resulted in a call for a public meeting.

This will be held tomorrow at 7pm at Brockdish Village Hall.

South Norfolk's eight weeks of consultations on proposed sites starts on Monday, during which the parish council will make its formal response.