New funding for traveller sites

Some £1.8m will be spent in the south east

More money is to be given to local councils to fund Gypsy and traveller sites in the south east of England.

Gypsy and Traveller Site Grants worth more than £1.8m have been approved to extend four sites, and support works to another nine sites in the area.

The money will be spent on sites in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

Since 2006/7 the government has approved £54.6m to invest in Gypsy and traveller sites across England.

The sites and the amounts they have received are:

West Sussex: Easthampnett £219,770

Surrey: Mole Valley District Brambledown £142,495; Mole Valley District Conifer Park £141,279 and Mole Valley District Travellers Rest £147,359

Buckinghamshire: County Wing £139,761

Hampshire: Tynefield £413,820

Kent: Cinderhill £240,856 ;

Berkshire: Four Houses Corner £26,458

East Sussex: Horsdean £247,500 and Polly Arch, Redlands Lane £129,600

Communities Minister Iain 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."

He said another £97m would be spent on improving sites around England in the next three years.