Government provides £10m for councils to improve Traveller sites

The government has distributed £10m of funding between nine councils across England to upgrade Traveller sites and improve access to health and education.

The money from the Traveller Site Fund has been awarded to councils including Kent, Lancaster, Cornwall, Swindon and Preston.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are among the most deprived in the country, with life expectancy between ten and 25 years shorter than the general population and the lowest attainment in compulsory schooling of all ethnic groups – outcomes often linked to social exclusion.

The government has faced severe criticism from these communities over recent legal crackdowns. Laws introduced last year made it a criminal offence to set up camp illegally on other people’s land or in local communities, with jail sentences of up to three months. Previously such camps were classed as trespass – a civil matter, rather than a criminal one.

Many councils are reluctant to provide legal sites for Travellers, leading to a national shortage.

The new funding is intended to improve legal transit sites, so that travellers have authorised places to stay, as well as better access to facilities and services such as healthcare.

Councils are also using the funding to refurbish existing transit and permanent sites to help improve living conditions for residents.

Improvements underway range from rebuilding through to new infrastructure dependent on need – including stabling for horses, improved utilities and play areas for children.

Dehenna Davison, Minister for Levelling Up, said: ‘We are supporting councils to improve Travellers’ life chances and build cohesion between the settled and traveller communities.

‘This funding is just one of the many ways we are improving opportunities for communities across the country, as part of the Levelling Up agenda.’

Preston’s Leighton Street Traveller site has been awarded £337,220 to refurbish and improve the condition of the site, including the upgrade of electrical equipment giving the residents greater control over their energy bills and running costs of the site.

Leader of Preston City Council, Matthew Brown, said: ‘We are delighted to receive this much-needed funding. It means residents now have better access to energy on the site, giving them greater control, flexibility, and money saving options on their outgoing energy bills.

‘Investing in sites means councils can also reduce the number of unauthorised encampments in England. This reduces enforcement costs for councils and assists both councils and local police in redirecting Travellers from unauthorised sites. Funding also helps support community cohesion between the settled community and Travellers.’