Search across city for sites to become Traveller camps - Bristol

COUNCIL officials in Bristol have begun a review to find possible Travellers' sites in the city.

The move will raise the spectre of blighted land and a dip in value of nearby homes as plots are earmarked as potential official camps.


The review comes in the wake of £600,000 funding from the Government to pay for 12 pitches in the city.

North Somerset Council is receiving £134,000 to pay for two pitches.

Communities Minister Andrew Stunell announced the winning bids in a £60 million package which will see hundreds of new authorised camps throughout the country.

He said financial support for official sites went hand in hand with action against illegal camps.

He said: "Through the Localism Act, the Government is introducing stronger powers for councils to tackle the abuse of retrospective planning permission.

"These strengthened powers are helping councils tackle any form of unauthorised development.

"The new authorised Travellers' sites will provide help to reduce the number of unauthorised sites which create tensions between Travellers and the settled community."

A council report is expected to be published in March which will set out potential sites and will be followed by an extensive consultation exercise in July to gauge the public's reaction.

A council spokesman said before a Gypsy camp could be set up, it would have to go through the normal planning process which would mean a further round of consultation before any decisions were taken.

He said the Government funding would mean the pitches would be part owner-occupied.

Last summer, the council was told by the Government that it needed to create 24 new Travellers' pitches in the city to meet national guidelines. This led to five sites being earmarked, which have since been shelved.

The largest, for up to 24 pitches at the former primary school site in Dunmail Road, Southmead, led to a storm of protests from residents.

Another possible site in Begbrook Drive, Stapleton, also caused an outcry and that land could now be for the expansion of a primary school.

The other three sites reprieved were Woodwell Road in Avonmouth (seven pitches), Cousins Lane, St George (five pitches) and a further eight for travelling Showpeople south of the existing authorised camp in South Liberty Lane, Ashton Vale.

The Evening Post revealed two weeks ago that the council had gone back to the drawing board over finding new travellers' sites in the city.

Lib Dem Cabinet Councillor Anthony Negus said they were obliged to go ahead with the review because of pressure from Westminster.

In North Somerset, the funding will be used to provide two additional pitches at the Willowmead site in Weston-super-Mare. This could allow some vacant land on this well-established Gypsy/Traveller residential site to be developed.

Deputy council leader Elfan Ap Rees, said: "I am pleased that we have secured this funding. There is a need within our local Gypsy/Traveller community for additional pitches and this money means we will be able to accommodate two more local families on an existing site."