Council approves demolition of former traveller site

The demolition and repurposing of a former traveller site has been approved by a local authority.

The site, located on the Baltic Road Industrial Estate in Felling, Gateshead, has been vacant since the end of 2022, according to Gateshead Council.

The location has become a fly-tipping hotspot in the time since, a council report said.

Officials agreed a lack of traveller demand for the site meant it should be converted for alternative use.

The site, which is made up of 18 pitches and several brick buildings, has been “extensively vandalised”, a council report said.

In 2022, the site was occupied by just one person. But since 2023, it has remained empty.

The area is currently costing £32,000 a year to maintain, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A review of traveller needs by the local authority found there was “no longer sufficient demand to justify providing a large, fixed site in Gateshead”.

Officials agreed to demolish and repurpose the site for alternative use by the council.

However, the site will be retained for some time to enable a “flexible response” to any “unforeseen” demand from travellers.

Council leader Martin Gannon said if there was new demand for traveller sites, they would make "alternative provisions”.

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