Warrington Borough Council gives update on traveller sites

It is thought that the site would provide a suitable area for travellers to use if they wish to stay in Warrington.

A number of different unauthorised sites have been established in Warrington over the past few weeks, including in Birchwood and Risley, Croft, Orford, and Padgate.

A number of caravans were sited on the Orford Neighbourhood Hub overflow car park last month (Image: Newsquest)

The latest encampment was established on Lysander Drive, Padgate, with the county council reporting that 10 caravans have pitched up on the land.

As early as 2015, Warrington Borough Council set money aside to create a traveller transit site - to a total of £2 million.

However, as of October 2022, there is still no traveller transit site in Warrington.

A number of residents voiced concerns about the lack of a transit site in the town, and now the council has responded.

Travellers also established an unauthorised site on playing fields in Paddington (Image: Newsquest)

When asked by the Warrington Guardian about the £2 million earmarked for a transit site, and why there had been no developments over a period of seven years, a spokesperson for Warrington Borough Council said: "We are continuing to work with our partners to identify a suitable traveller transit site in the borough.

"The need for this is fully established in the submitted proposed local plan that was subject to examination in public in September.”

Croft was the site of an unauthorised encampment in September (Image: Newsquest)

The council was also asked to provide a timetable for the introduction of a transit site, and if it would be providing reassurance to any residents with concerns.

Warrington Borough Council did not provide further comment on this.