TWO hundred residents attended a public meeting over the unauthorised traveller site in Sully last Friday.

The two-hour meeting saw concerned locals, as well as a small group of the travellers, cram into the Old School Hall on South Road – and the Sully homeowners wasted no time making it clear that they want the travelling community out.

At one point a unanimous show of hands saw all but one person agree that the travellers should move on with Sully Community Council chair Lino Scaglioni saying he felt the Vale Council had aided and abetted the travellers in a dereliction of its duties to the residents of Sully.

Around ten travellers living at the former civic amenity site on Hayes Road were at the meeting. The travellers moved on to the site in January 2011, after vacating the former Billybanks site in Penarth.

But the Vale of Glamorgan Council, who own the site, have warned that any legal action to evict them would be likely to fail because the Vale does not have a permanent site for them, as demanded by legislation.

The public meeting was called by Sully councillors Cllr Bob Penrose and Cllr Kevin Mahoney after residents grew tired about the lack of action.

Cllr Penrose said: “The fact is that the site the travellers are using is unsuitable.

It is in the shadow of a chemical complex and sited next to a college for autistic youngsters.

“The Vale can solve the problem by doing the research and looking for a permanent site but they have buried the issue in the new LDP.”

Cllr Mahoney called on villagers to help them with the fight. “We need people who feel strongly about this,” he said. “Without a fight the situation will continue.”

During the meeting travellers were asked where they would like to go, One traveller, Amy, said in a prepared statement: “Many of us here would love to save up and buy a piece of land somewhere rural and all live together there – keeping animals and growing veg – but planning permission for this kind of project is very difficult and expensive to obtain.

“Of course it would be great to have a permanent place to live however in these difficult financial times we do not feel any need to put pressure on the council to spend much needed funds on finding and developing a permanent site.

“They have many more important things to spend their money on than us.”

The meeting decided a committee would be set up to produce formal options for appraisal on the best way forward with a representative of the travellers being invited to be a member.

Speaking on Tuesday, Cllr Penrose said: “I was encouraged by the numbers and the attendance of the travellers as it is important to give both sides of the argument. I was disappointed no paid officers from the council were present.”