WARRINGTON Borough Council’s leader has dismissed a suggestion to integrate a transit site for travellers with new housing.

Hundreds of pieces of land have been assessed for the town’s future transit camp but, so far, none have been deemed to be deliverable.

It was intended a shortlist would be finalised by January 2017 but the matter has faced major delays.

Around £2 million has been set aside in the Labour-run authority’s capital budget for the facility, which Town Hall bosses believe will reduce the number of costly unlawful encampments.

It would allow officers to direct groups to the land.

Cllr Stefan Krizanac (IND – Westbrook) pressed council leader Cllr Russ Bowden (LAB – Birchwood) during Monday’s full council meeting and asked when a decision will be made on the site.

Furthermore, he highlighted a ‘successful way of doing it’ would be to have developers developing a site for travellers within housing estates and asked whether that could be ‘implemented’ in Warrington.

But Cllr Bowden told him he is ‘totally puddled’ if he ‘seriously expects’ a developer will come forward with proposals for housing and a transit site.

The politician also insists residents want to remove the ‘repeated clash’ between the travelling and settled communities.

Cllr Bowden said: “The whole point of this and what residents of the town expect is that we, as a council, get in a position to deal proactively with unauthorised encampments across the town.

“The strategy we have got, which is just another tool in the armoury, is to have a transit site.”

After the meeting, the Warrington Guardian pressed Cllr Bowden on when he wants a decision to be made.

But he declined to set a target date.

He added: “I had intended to bring something forward really quickly, we have gone through a really rigorous process.

“We still don’t have a recommendation from the task group, there is still a lot of work being done behind the scenes by officers.

“At some point, I am still really confident we will come forward with a credible, viable site.

“The task group has worked really hard and respected the process and the need to maintain confidentiality.”