York: More than £5m to be spent on Traveller accommodation

A report written by council officers says there is an identified need to provide additional Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in York in order to adopt a development plan, known as a ‘local plan’.

The Labour-run City of York Council has also committed to improving equalities and human rights, as well as improving health inequalities, in its council plan.

Council officers wrote: “As Gypsy and Traveller communities are groups which face some of the most considerable health inequalities, the health needs assessment and subsequent planned work will seek to address this.”

Coun Michael Pavlovic, executive member for housing, said: “We had the fifth public hearing that was specifically requested by the local plan inspectorate to outline issues of concern that had been raised by the Gypsy and Traveller community whose submissions had been made.

“It's fair to say it was a difficult session because this is a marginalised group who have been neglected, under-invested in, whose health outcomes are significantly worse than the general population’s and for whom there has been an attitude of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.”

There have been long-held concerns at the Osbaldwick site for Gypsy and Traveller communities over air quality and the general fabric of the site.

York has not had an adopted development plan since 1954, leading to concerns over the number of houses built in the city.

In order to improve and build more accommodation for Gypsy and Traveller communities, £5.25m will need to be spent over this period which will require council borrowing.

Of this sum potentially £1.95m will come from future s106 contributions, a mechanism which makes a development proposal acceptable in planning terms, according to the Local Government Association.

This would leave a £3.3m long term borrowing requirement to the council.

The total number of pitches required, including undetermined pitches, is 26.