TORY council chiefs are set to reject £1m of Government cash and refuse to use planning permission for the transit camp for travellers at Monks Brook near Swaythling.

The move by the new minority administration would fly in the face of a full council decision to approve the site.

Council legal chiefs warn it could leave the council in breach its "land management" duties and would mean it having to fully fund an alternative. However, the council would not need to spend £740,000 on road works to Stoneham Way.

Plans for the 12-caravan campsite were narrowly passed at a special planning meeting last month amid concerns about speed limits, queueing caravans, relocating protected slow worms and other environmental problems. The whole planning process cost £60,000.

Tory Cabinet member for economic regeneration and development councillor Royston Smith has urged his colleagues to refuse the £997,000 grant and let the planning permission gather dust. It lasts for three years before it would need to be renewed.

It follows a pledge by council leader Alec Samuels do all he could to "withdraw, abandon or abolish" the Monks Brook plans.

In a report to the Cabinet Cllr Smith said he was committed to building a transit site in the city, but that Monks Brook was not the best option.

He pointed out use of the "unallocated land" was against the council's own Local Plan, meaning the Government could order a planning inquiry.

He also cited high levels of resident concern and lack of public consultation at the early stages of site selection. Cllr Smith said detailed reasons would be revealed later.

But Cllr Liz Mizon, Lib Dem spokesman for communities, said: "It's absolutely crazy.

"It's still the best site in the city. There are a huge safeguards. We've got the money, we've got the need, we have the planning permission.

"There is no good reason that anybody has identified that we should not build it there except that local people don't want it.

"One can only come to the conclusion it's for political reasons."

Labour group leader councillor June Bridle added: "It's the economics of the madhouse.

"Why turn down £1m now when every authority in the country is going to have to provide these facilities in the next few years.

"It would be a wasted opportunity."

The news was greeted with cautious optimism by Jane Odgers, who won her seat on the council after opposing plans for a travellers' site at Monks Brook.

Cllr Odgers said: "I've read the Cabinet papers but I'm not holding my breath because anything can happen.

"I didn't think the Monks Brook scheme would get planning permission because of all the very valid objections but it still received consent.

"It's not a suitable site and it will be good news for the people of Swaythling if the scheme doesn't go ahead.

"But travellers still need somewhere they can go without causing friction with residents, although I don't know where in Southampton a site could go."

The Cabinet meets next Monday. If it agrees to dump Monks Brook it will try to get the Government funding shifted to an alternative site and apply for planning permission by January next year.

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