Should there be more traveller sites in Sheffield? This is what readers of the Star have to say

This month, a number of travellers have set up camp in areas around Sheffield, including in Crookes and most recently Parson Cross, where they stated they had ‘nowhere else to go’.

Travellers are not allowed to park anywhere they do not have permission, including private land and land owned by the council. But Sheffield currently has two authorised Gypsy and Traveller sites that are owned and managed by the council housing service. These are Long Acre View, in Halfway, and Redmires Land, in Lodge Moor.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Sheffield City Council is pushing ahead with plans for a third site on land off Eckington Way in Beighton.

On our Facebook page, we asked whether you thought there should be more designated traveller sites in Sheffield and we received hundreds of comments with a split opinion. Here’s what you said.

Dawn Norton Clarke wrote: “Yes they have a right to live somewhere like the rest of us so long as they keep it clean.”

David Rayner said: “Permanent sites for travellers??? Is it just me..... There should be no sites for travellers to stop at, unless they have a contract and pay for the right to stay.”

Ian John Wharton said: “If they contribute and respect the community, yes.”

Peter Whitworth wrote: “100%, refugees come over and are given somewhere to live so why not travellers. I was brought up with my parents having traveller friends, they're not bad people. Leave them alone they'll leave you alone. At the end of the day it's their culture. We cater for everyone else's culture, so why not theirs?”

Debbie Wilson commented: “Yes we should help our own as well as the rest of the world.”

Joanne Bellamy said: “No, we have to pay when we go away with our caravan, so yes if they pay the going rate per night.”

Al Copeland said: “If they fund it themselves, yes. There are countless sites already and a multitude of (this is the real elephant in the room) camp sites and motorway services they can pay to use. Fact. A motorway service has more welfare facilities for children than a field does.”