Dinosaur park saved as Gypsy site plan dropped

Proposals to relocate a popular dinosaur park to make way for a Gypsy and traveller site have been dropped, a council has confirmed.

Middlesbrough's Teessaurus Park is a 10-acre plot of land that hosts an array of steel dinosaur sculptures created in the 1970s by artist Genevieve Glatt.

Last January, a campaign to save the dinosaurs began when Middlesbrough Council said they could be relocated to accommodate Gypsy or traveller pitches needed to meet government housing targets.

Campaigner Sue Martin said she was "very pleased" to hear the council had now rowed back on its plans in light of widespread opposition.

The authority's decision is outlined in a report providing an update on Middlesbrough's Publication Local Plan, which will underpin planning and development decisions until 2041.

Acknowledging a "significant amount of interest" in the Teessaurus Park proposals, it said the council responded to concerns by commissioning consultants to carry out a detailed assessment to look at alternative options for Gypsy and traveller pitches.

"This work concluded that Teessaurus Park is not the most appropriate option to meet future needs and recommended alternative locations," it added.

Councillor Theo Furness, the council's executive member for development, said there was a "lot of strong feeling" about the popular park when the draft proposals were published.

He said he was pleased the council had been able to identify alternative proposals that would allow them to meet their legal obligations in regard to the housing needs of the Gypsy and travelling community.

In response to the initial plans, Miss Martin launched a petition which attracted more than 7,000 signatures and the support of Genevieve Glatt's family.

On hearing the proposals would not progress, she said: "It's great that they're not going ahead with it.

"The campaign showed just how much interest there is in the dinosaurs and I was glad to see how many people came out in support of them."

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