MP's fury at £820,000 being spent on Traveller sites - Yorkshire

From the Telegraph and Argus

An £820,000 facelift for two Bradford Council-run Traveller sites which began quietly last month has sparked condemnation from an MP.

At a time of swingeing cuts in many services, the Labour-run authority has put £352,000 towards new and improved amenities at the Mary Street and Esholt sites, cash which was contained in its budget for the coming year under the heading of environment, sport and sustainability.

Neither leaders of the Council’s Conservative or Liberal Democrat groups said they were aware of the money having already been allocated to spend on new washrooms, shower, bath and toilet blocks for the combined 47 pitches at the sites.

But the Council’s contribution has been dwarfed by a grant of £468,000 from the coalition Government’s own Homes and Communities Agency.

“It’s an outrageous waste of money and that just makes it worse because the Government looks just as daft as the Council,” said Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies.

“The Council just seems to have a never-ending supply of money for these politically-correct hobby horses.

“Most of my constituents think this sort of thing should not be a priority for Bradford Council.

“Instead of pussyfooting around Gypsies and encouraging them to relocate here, they should be encouraging them to abide like law-abiding members of the community or move on.”

Councillor Andrew Thornton, the executive member for environment, sport & sustainability, said the Council was obliged to provide amenities.

“These people are tenants and we’ve got a statutory responsibility to improve their amenities. It is important to live up to our obligations,” said Coun Thornton.

“Bradford Council has obtained match funding from the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency to refurbish all 47 pitches on both the Esholt and Mary Street Travellers’ sites. The grant provided is £468,000.

“The refurbishment of Esholt started in March 2013 and will be completed by June 2014 at a cost of approximately £400,000.

“The site was last refurbished in 2007/08 at a cost of £245,000.

“Most of the pitches on the Esholt site are let apart from three which are not habitable, but these have been allocated when the refurbishment is complete and will be let.

“Several tenants are not on site at present, but the pitches remain let.”

It is thought some of the Travellers moved off the Esholt site after a feud developed between families who had previously lived as good neighbours to each other.

News of the huge improvement scheme came to light after Councillor Debbie Davies (Con, Baildon) was given details by a concerned constituent.

She said: “When £23,000 can’t be found to keep an important community asset like Bracken Hall in Baildon open, it seems staggering that such an amount can be spent on so few people and how on earth can the Esholt site need a major refurbishment just five years after a previous major refurbishment?”

see also: - The Telegraph and Argus - Sites need maintaining