Pontypool Gypsy Travellers' site could get £3.6m extension - Wales

From the South Wales Argus

A GYPSY Travellers site in Pontypool could undergo a £3.6 million expansion if Torfaen council approve plans.

At a full council meeting on July 31, councillors will be asked to approve proposals for the expansion of the existing Gypsy Travellers site based around the current Shepherd’s Hill site in Pontypool.

Plans would see part of the unused Race football pitch, which subsided in 1997 due to past industrial use, being used to accommodate further caravan pitches.

A replacement playing field and facilities would be created for Race Football Club, under the proposals, while the planned redevelopment of the privately owned Rose Cottage site would provide 10 further pitches to help alleviate Gypsy Traveller housing needs within the borough.

Around £3.6 million will be needed to meet the cost of the proposals from a mix of Welsh Government grants, existing spending and future income from the new site.

Cllr Gwyneira Clark, Executive member for housing, planning and public protection said: "We have a duty to address overcrowding and want to improve conditions on the site. This proposal also offers the best value for money to do this, and meets our legal requirements to plan for future housing."

Cllr Cynthia Beynon, executive member for equalities, said: "These proposals will also help us manage the slow growth of the Gypsy Traveller community in Torfaen. By focusing these works on the current sites in the Race area, we can ensure Gypsy Travellers benefit from services that are already established, without the need for costly new facilities to be acquired elsewhere in the borough. This view is supported by local Gypsy Travellers and helps limit the impact on the public purse."

Shepherd’s Hill currently has 26 permanent residential pitches and one transit pitch, comprising of caravans and mobile homes.