Improvements to be made to second Gypsy site - Leicestershire

From the Rugby and Lutterworth Observer

WORK to improve the 30-year-old Traveller’s site at Toll Bar End to be carried out a head of a £1million government funded complete refurbishment.

Two amenity blocks serving four existing pitches will be refurbished at the 22-pitch site on Siskin Drive at a cost of £20,000.

Each block will include bathroom suites as well as kitchen sinks and units. It is estimated the work will take around three to four weeks to complete.

The work will be paid for by the city council is the first phase of a much bigger improvement project to be carried out on the site using money from the Homes and Communities Agency.

Fifteen new and larger amenity blocks that will be offer more space and will be warmer and cheaper to run will be built.

It will also pay for kitchens with space and plumbing for washing machines, bathrooms with showers, individual water and electricity meters and proper demarcation of pitches with fencing and road markings.

Improved road drainage will also be created as part of the improvements as well as resurfacing the site.

All of the work is expected to start by the summer this year and is estimated to take around 10 months to complete.

Coun Ed Ruane,the council's housing chief, said: "Every local authority is required by law to offer a site for Travellers which we have done for many years at Siskin Drive.

"The money from the Homes and Communities Agency will enable us to provide better facilities I’m sure will make the site more attractive to other Travellers."