A permanent travellers' site could still be heading for Stanway, despite a guarantee that land in the parish would not be used for one.
It was revealed yesterday that a meeting of Colchester Council's travellers' sub-group was told about a pledge given to Stanway residents.
A report to the committee stated: "Stanway Parish Council has been assured by Essex County Council that the site will not be in their parish."
Parish councillors at the meeting confirmed they had been given the guarantee by Chris Manning-Press, Conservative Essex county councillor for Mersea and Stanway.
The news surprised borough councillors, who said they knew nothing about any guarantees even though it was up to them to decide which sites would be suitable.
A final ruling will have to be made by Essex county councillors once the borough authority has made its recommendations.
But Mr Manning-Press said he hadn't meant for the assurance to refer to all areas of Stanway and had only been talking about one particular site off Dyer's Road.
He said that piece of land was in private ownership and could only become a travellers' site if Colchester Council compelled the landowner to sell it.
As that had been ruled out last year, he said he had assured the parish council it would not be used, but added that he hadn't been referring to the rest of the area.
Terry Sutton, Colchester Council's environment portfolio holder, said Stanway was still in line for consideration as a permanent site.
But he stressed that no decisions had been made yet by borough or county councillors.
Published Friday, June 20, 2003
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