Council predicts £200k overspend on Traveller costs - Sussex

From the Argus

Traveller costs are spiralling, with town hall bosses predicting a £200,000 overspend on their already squeezed budget.

Brighton and Hove City Council currently allocates £500,000 a year to support travelling communities in the city.

But, with the transit site at Horsdean remaining closed for much of the year and unauthorised encampments being dotted around the city throughout the summer, officials have revealed the local authority is on course to overspend its budget by more than £200,000 for 2012/13.

With other budgets being cut due to swingeing cuts, opposition councillors have called on council chiefs to look at other ways in which the amount could be reduced.

Conservative councillor Ann Norman said: “It’s an enormous amount of money on what is a reasonably small budget. Other councils don’t seem to have the same problems and I do think we could do with a bit more support from our neighbouring authorities.

“When we’re looking to make savings across the board we do need to look at the Travellers’ budget.

“I’m very interested in what is planned for next year.”

According to documents presented to councillors, the majority of the overspend (£92,000) is due to the closure of Horsdean transit site.

Money has had to be spent on improving the site, increased security and loss of income with it being shut. The site, which is north of the A27 at Patcham, has only recently been reopened on a partial basis after being damaged by trespassers at Christmas.

A further £55,000 is estimated to be spent on unauthorised encampments, with the taxpayer footing bills for removing fly-tipping, legal fees and removing and storing of vehicles.

The remaining sum (£55,000) is predicted to be additional staff costs.

Previously, council leaders claimed the new permanent 12- pitch site alongside 21 temporary pitches would reduce the number of unauthorised encampments.

Coun Norman questioned if the site would be big enough to cope with unauthorised encampments, which can total more than 50 vehicles.

Catherine Vaughan, the council’s finance director, said overall the local authority was on course to overspend its budget by £2.4 million – down from the predicted £3.3 million forecast in June.

Speaking about the overall budget, Green councillor Leo Littman said: “Things are still very difficult but the direction of travel remains positive.”