Leeds City Council to bid for £1m traveller site grant

Leeds City Council is likely to bid for a £1m grant to help it deal with unauthorised Gypsy and traveller sites.

The money would go towards building a new 10-pitch travellers site.

Councillor Peter Gruen said the council had spent nearly £2m since 2003 evicting travellers and the current system was not working.

Helen Jones, Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange chief executive, welcomed the move but said 10 pitches would not stop unauthorised encampment.

According to the council's scrutiny committee, there are 12 Leeds travellers families who own 25 caravans between them.

Extending the existing travellers site at Cottingley Springs was rejected, so a new site will have to be found if the problem of temporary camps is to be solved.

Leeds City Council is due to meet on Wednesday to discuss the proposals in more detail.