Government pays ?73,000 to improve traveller site

A TRAVELLER site at Eaton Bray is set to get a £73,013 makeover.

Beds County Council has been given the money to spend on Chiltern View in Northall Road as part of an East of England Gypsy and Traveller Site grant totalling £6.9 million, announced on Friday by Communities Minister Ian Wright MP.

Across England, since 2006/7 the Government has approved £54.6 million of investment that will provide over 400 additional pitches for gypsies and travellers, and refurbish 120 sites.

A further £97 million of funding is available between 2008 -11, and bids are now being invited for 2008/9.

Mr Wright said: "This funding is vital in delivering both new and better sites to ensure that gypsies and travellers have authorised, decent places to live and to help reduce the £18 million annual enforcement bill.

“It is important that councils ensure there are enough authorised sites for the gypsy and traveller communities.

“A good supply of legal sites can break the vicious cycle of evictions that is costly in terms of both local tensions and taxpayers’ cash.”