FRESH calls have been made to move travellers from their Hayes Road site in Sully, with councillors telling the Vale council they have had 'years to realise it is not suitable and find an alternative one'.

Councillors Bob Penrose and Kevin Mahoney say they share genuine safety fears over flooding and overcrowding at the site, and have called on the local authority to make clear their immediate plans over the issue.

It follows a decision by Welsh Government planning inspector Richard Jenkins, earlier this year, that ruled the site is 'unsound' for occupation.

The Vale is required by Welsh Government legislation to provide a Gypsy/traveller site in its Local Development Plan (LDP) and their preferred location had been the Hayes Road site.

But following the planning inspector's decision, the council were told to look for an alternative site, with the councillors urging them to consider the health and safety risks of the travellers remaining where they are for much longer - points they say have previously been ignored.

Cllr Penrose said: "The point we are making is one of health and safety.

"Cllr Mahoney and I have voiced our concerns over the safety issues at two scrutiny committees and we feel that our comments have been ignored.

"We are concerned about the safety of the inhabitants on the site because if the site floods there is nowhere for them to escape."

"To our knowledge, there has been no study carried out to see whether the site is contaminated and we think there could be a danger of overcrowding as it is a small site.

"The council should look for an alternative site which is safer."

The group of travellers first moved onto the former civic amenities site in 2012. The issue caused uproar among residents with the community council previously suggesting an alternative site at Llangan.

Cllr Mahoney said a section of the coastal path near the site was being constantly eroded and that water levels had reached as high as six foot in previous floods.

"The Welsh Assembly Government themselves have said that this is not a suitable site," he added.

"This administration has had at least five years to look into this site, realise it is not suitable and find an alternative one."

"If they don't find a more suitable dedicated site it could make the whole LDP unsound."

A spokesman for the Vale council said they are aware of issues surrounding potential flood risks but that they had been told by Welsh Government officials and National Resources Wales that these risks could be mitigated.

A flood consequence assessment was commissioned, and while the spokesman said this did not satisfy the Welsh Government inspector, he added, "it is not correct to say that he called for the site to be removed over safety fears".

"Rather it was a matter of planning policy that he believed was not being interpreted correctly," the spokesman said.

There is currently no alternative site on which to accommodate the travellers, it was added, but the spokesman did also say: "In light of the inspector’s decision we are working to find an alternative site that also accommodates the needs of the Hayes Road community.

"Whilst this work is ongoing we have proposed a short term toleration of the continued occupation of the Hayes Road site."