Agenda item - Traveller Strategy 2012: 2 Year Update

Report of the Executive Director Environment, Development & Housing (copy attached).

1.            That Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee notes the progress made, achievements and challenges in delivering the strategy (Appendix 1).

2.            That Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee notes the progress made in implementing the Scrutiny Panel recommendations (Appendix 2).

79.1      The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director Environment, Development & Housing that provided an annual monitoring update on the Traveller Commissioning Strategy in accordance with the recommendations of the Traveller Scrutiny Panel held in 2012.

79.2      Councillor Hawtree asked if any update was available on the proposed Horsdean site.

79.3      The Head of Tenancy Services clarified that there was a significant amount of work to undertake including installation of a utility block, community rooms and drainage work and the aim was for the site to be completed by the end of March 2016.

79.4      Councillor Theobald noted that the council had been provided with a grant of £1.7m by central government and enquired as to any additional costs above that.

79.5      The Head of Tenancy Services clarified that Policy & Resources Committee had allocated an additional £250,000 at its December 2014 meeting primarily to complete drainage work. She added that construction inflation costs had risen dramatically since approval that had been difficult to manage.

79.6      Councillor Theobald stated that he still had many reservations about ongoing costs and suitability, particularly with regard to flooding, about the site location.

79.7      Councillor Robins stated that he had sat on the Traveller Scrutiny Panel in 2012 and he had envisaged that the council would have created a better dialogue with the travelling community since then. Councillor Robins expressed his disappointment that no significant progress had been made and sites were still a matter of local dispute, and urged officers to undertake this as a matter of priority.

79.8      The Head of Tenancy Services stated that the council and other agencies had made progress in attempting to establish link, bonds and trust with the travelling community but there was still significant work to undertake to this end.

79.9      RESOLVED-

1.            That Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee notes the progress made, achievements and challenges in delivering the strategy (Appendix 1).

2.            That Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee notes the progress made in implementing the Scrutiny Panel recommendations (Appendix 2).