BUSINESS cases are being prepared for a number of potential locations for Warrington's future £2m million transit site for travellers.

It was intended that a shortlist made up of possible locations for a transit camp in the town would be finalised by January last year.

But the matter has faced repeated delays and the travellers task group – which is made up of cross-party councillors – has still not been able to recommend a location.

During Monday's full council meeting, Cllr Sharon Harris (LD – Appleton) questioned deputy council leader Cllr Russ Bowden on the issue.

She asked him to confirm when a decision on the location will be made, when it will be made public and when work on the facility will start.

Cllr Bowden (LAB – Birchwood) revealed officers are currently preparing for the next task group meeting in October, where business cases 'will be presented for a number of potential new sites'.

He said members will decide on the 'merits' of each of the sites during the meeting.

It was also confirmed that the initial site list comprised 525 locations, which was reduced to 39 after a stage one assessment, then to 13 after stage two.

Cllr Bowden added: "To date, the cross-party working group has considered a number of potential sites but has not been able to recommend, at this stage, a site for the executive to progress.

"The key issues for the council, I would suggest is, perhaps, one of the most difficult issues faced by the council in recent years, is obviously around responsibility to residents.

"And developing a robust process, which can stand up to any potential challenge in the future to ensure we end up with something that is deliverable, that is cost effective and the location is appropriate to avoid the repeated clash with the settled community.

"I take those responsibilities incredibly seriously and that is why there isn't a rush just to move ahead with the first site we think of because we have to make sure that is defendable to the people of Warrington.

"It is not a case of the council sticking a pin in a map and saying 'that is where the site is'.

"I think it is a credit to the Labour group that we actually grasped the nettle, in terms of trying to get a proper resolution to the problem of unauthorised encampments in Warrington.

"At the moment, none of those 13 sites I mentioned are considered by the task group to be suitable.

"Officers continue to monitor the residential and industrial market as, and when, sites become available.

"This is an incredibly difficult process – it needs to be handled with care and sensitivity.

"I think it is right that the task group is allowed to continue to do its work."

A future camp would allow the authority to direct groups to the land, with senior Town Hall figures confident that it would dramatically reduce the number of unlawful encampments across the borough and, in turn, save vital funds.

The authority has almost £2 million set aside to fund it.