A COUNCIL leader has welcomed the new government’s removal of pressure to build new houses and provide plots for travellers.

New Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, has written to council leaders to promise to abolish the former government’s ‘regional strategies’.

The regional strategy for Gravesham had said the council had to build 9,300 new dwellings by 2026 and find 16 extra pitches for travellers.

However, the letter from Mr Pickles promised to “return decision making powers on housing and planning to local councils”, which has pleased council leader Councillor Mike Snelling.

He said: “The original very tight calculation that the 9,300 new houses could be built on brownfield sites was looking increasingly unlikely.

“Some sites in or near the town centre in particular were clearly not going to come forward, with the inevitable result we would be forced by a government planning inspector to look at the green belt, or greenfield sites.”

The obligation to find extra pitches for travellers meant the council had to relocate gypsies who illegally set up camp on green belt land in Sole Street to a site off Springhead Road in Northfleet.

This site is unpopular with people living on and near Springhead Road as well as members of the Gravesend Royal Naval Association, which has its clubhouse on adjacent land.

Cllr Snelling welcomed the government’s promise to return the power to decide how many travellers sites to place in the borough to the council.