Over £3m for Gypsy and Traveller sites in Yorkshire and the Humber
12 February 2010
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Allocations for the 2009/2010 Gypsy and Traveller Site Grant were announced today, by the national housing and regeneration government agency that manages the programme, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
Funding is awarded to Local Authorities and housing associations to provide new social rented sites and to help pay for the refurbishment of existing social rented sites for gypsies and travellers, new age travellers and travelling showpeople.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, a total of £3,158,125 has been allocated for gypsy and traveller sites. Barnsley Council and Berneslai Homes are to receive £1.9million to renew 28 pitches and provide two additional pitches at the Smithies Lane site in Barnsley. East Riding has been awarded £1,214,139 for 10 existing and 10 new pitches at Eppleworth Road in Cottingham and North Yorkshire County Council has been granted £43,986 to provide 2 new pitches at Burn in Selby.
David Curtis, Yorkshire and the Humber regional director at the HCA said: 'The aim of the grant programme is to increase the number and quality of authorised sites throughout England. Roughly one in five of all Gypsy and Traveller caravans have no authorised site, despite a desire by their owners to have a permanent base. Providing access to new and improved sites will help tackle poor access to good quality, well managed sites which, factors which contribute to the community’s lower than average life expectancy, high infant mortality, and under achievement in school.'
County Councillor Carl Les, Executive Member for Corporate Services,said: 'We very much welcome the allocation of this funding, which combined with North Yorkshire County Council's proposals for upgrading the amenity blocks at this site will lead to a much improved facility for travellers and reducing the incidence of unauthorised sites being set up.'
The HCA is managing the Gypsy and Traveller Sites Grant programme for 2009/10 and 2010/11 with £97m of funding available between 2008-11. The agency’s role is to promote and manage the annual bidding round, manage the assessment of applications, allocate funding and evaluate funded schemes.
Ends
For further information please contact Tom Hustler, Regional Communications Manager of the HCA on 07876 131488 tom.hustler@hca.gsx.gov.uk
Notes to editors:
The Homes and Communities Agency is responsible for the Gypsy and Traveller Site Grant that will fund new social rented sites as well as help pay for the refurbishment of existing social rented sites. Our 2010/2011 bidding round has now begun.
Some important areas of our work include:
- increasing the supply of accommodation;
- promoting community cohesion;
- improving the quality of accommodation, and ensuring it is sustainable;
- supporting organisations such as local authorities and Registered Social Landlords, and tackling barriers to delivery;
- encouraging innovative approaches to site provision, and
- supporting skill development, to improve the development and management of sites.
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England.
Our vision is about creating opportunity for people to live in homes they can afford, in places they want to live and for local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas.
We achieve this by:
- acting as the bridge between national targets and local ambitions, with a strong regional presence.
- through our Single Conversation process with local authorities, RDAs and sub-regional partnerships.
- working effectively with the market, housebuilders, investors and other stakeholders
- understanding the needs and aspirations of people and communities