New traveller sites will be created through a £10 million
fund announced today (20 March 2022).
The funding, for 2022/23, will allow councils to provide improved
transit sites and stopping places, so travellers have authorised
places to stay, and access to facilities and services.
Councils can also bid for funding for new permanent sites to meet
the needs of travellers in their local areas, as well as using it
to refurbish existing sites.
As part of our ambitions to level up across the country, this
fund will help improve travellers’ life chances, by giving them
easier access to local services including healthcare, education,
and employment.
Providing more and better places to stay will also reduce
tensions between travellers and the settled community, and the
high costs of tackling unauthorised encampments.
Communities Minister, , said:
It’s vital that everyone has access to the kind of services that
offer the best support. So, these new and improved sites will
give travellers easier routes to healthcare, education, and
employment.
This funding is just one of the ways the government is improving
opportunities for communities across the country.
This funding can be used for new sites; improve existing sites
through both refurbishment and rebuild; improve site
infrastructure; or pay for public spaces on existing sites, such
as community centres, play areas for children and stabling for
horses.
By building more sites and temporary stopping places, it also
aims to reduce the number of unauthorised encampments in England;
reduce enforcement costs for councils; assist councils and local
police in redirecting travellers from unauthorised encampments,
and therefore enhance community cohesion between the settled
community and travellers.
In addition to this fund, councils can already apply for a share
of the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Fund 2021-2026 for
permanent and transit sites, and bricks and mortar accommodation
for travellers.
