WYRE Forest’s MP has criticised the district council for asking travellers where they want future pitches to be.

Mark Garnier sent out a newsletter in response to Wyre Forest District Council’s proposals to find 43 pitches for gypsies, travellers and travelling show people by 2022. It said the approach was flawed.

Mr Garnier wrote: “In preparing their submission, Wyre Forest District Council, in the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment March, 2008, went to ask the existing travellers how many pitches they would need in the future. By asking those who are already here what they want in the future, the process is skewed towards allocating pitches where there is already a significant traveller community.”

He added: “This doesn’t make any sense. It makes sure that those districts who have already made a provision are loaded with more pitches.”

District council Leader John Campion said: “The whole point of consultation is for people to express their views.

Mark’s view, along with everyone else’s, will be fed into the consultation.”

The MP’s newsletter highlighted the high number of caravans in Wyre Forest, compared with other areas of Worcestershire.

It read: “Wyre Forest already hosts 49 gypsy and traveller pitches and across Worcestershire this seems to be a relatively high number.

On average there are 1.7 caravans per pitch in Wyre Forest.

At the last count, Wyre Forest had 83 caravans across its 49 pitches. Wychavon hosted, as of January 21 this year, 295 caravans, and so a great deal more than Wyre Forest, Worcester has 28, Bromsgrove 27, Malvern Hills 14 and Redditch three.

“It illustrates the point that in Wyre Forest we have a great deal more than our fair share.”

Mr Garnier also compared the percentage increase in traveller pitches to that of traditional housing in Wyre Forest.

He wrote: “Wyre Forest District Council is proposing 35 new pitches by 2017. That is a 74 per cent increase in traveller pitches. The housing expectation is an increase of around 4,000 new houses, against an existing population of around 45,000 homes. That’s around a nine per cent increase.”