THE row over plans to find a permanent travellers site in the borough rumbles on, after opposition councillors put the brakes on Labour's proposals.

The plans put forward by the Labour-run council recommended that a controversial proposed site on Budden Road in Coseley be scrapped and instructed officers of the council to look at other potential sites across the borough.

The recommendations also allocated funding for immediate protections for vulnerable green spaces that had been targeted previously by travellers and for a new team of Environmental Support officers to liaise with residents in the event of any traveller incursions.

The Conservative Chair of the Place Scrutiny Committee has now called the report in to be considered by the committee, meaning the implementation of the report will be delayed until the scrutiny committee has met to discuss the plans.

Labour councillors have hit out at the opposition for 'delaying' their measures.

Councillor Keiran Casey, Cabinet Member for Housing and Residents Welfare said: "Despite us now developing a plan which would solve these problems once and for all, looking at finding a more appropriate site whilst securing our local parks and having more enforcement with a team of Environmental Officers, the Conservatives have now delayed this even further, meaning that we aren't able to get on with securing our vulnerable sites which residents have told us they desperately want done straight away."

"I think the Tories should hang their heads in shame, they couldn’t get the plan right in the first place and are now delaying our plan which would solve the problem once and for all."

Opposition leader Cllr Patrick Harley labelled the council's proposals and the scrapping of the Budden Road site as 'political cowardice' at full council this week.

The Dudley Conservatives have also launched a petition calling for the council to restore plans for a temporary transit site in Coseley.