PROPOSALS for a permanent traveller site in Ellesmere Port have been abandoned by the council after news that the Government is unlikely to fund it.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) is now instructing consultants to find alternative locations for a permanent travellers’ site.

Consultants currently undertaking a comprehensive study to short list potential sites throughout West Cheshire will now look for alternatives in Ellesmere Port and surrounding areas and report back to the council.

Cllr Herbert Manley, executive member for prosperity, said: “We have been informed that the Government do not believe that the Foxfield may be an acceptable location and is therefore unlikely to attract the necessary funding.

“The decision illustrates perfectly why the authority was waiting for a decision before spending council tax payers’ money on a full-scale programme of public information and consultation.

“However, the Government still requires this authority to provide a site in Ellesmere Port for a long-established travelling community that regards the town as their home”.