Fears over traveller and gypsy sites in Somerset

Travellers and gypsies in Somerset say they may be forced to live on unauthorised sites because there is a shortage of pitches for them.
Boy in a gypsy wagon.

The coalition government has scrapped targets set by the previous Labour government to create more pitches and have significantly reduced funding.

Labour had earmarked £150m nationally over five years to pay for new sites as part of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS).

But when the new coalition government came in, the RSS was scrapped and funding for new pitches was reduced to £15.5m.

It means local councils will now decide how many residential pitches for long stay gypsies and transit pitches for those who are travelling through are given the go ahead.

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