The head of a Leeds-based travellers organisation has welcomed a report which reviews gypsy and traveller site provision in Leeds.
A report following an independent internal inquiry held by the council's environment and neighbourhoods scrutiny board has put forward 12 suggestions for improving gypsy and traveller sites in Leeds.
The inquiry followed concerns over an increase in the number of illegal traveller encampments across the city last summer.
Among those suggestions are more 'very short-term stay' sites, providing an extra 25 permanent pitches for families who remain in the Leeds area for most of the year and the possible expansion of the Cottingley Springs site.
Helen Jones, chief executive of the Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (GATE), said:
"Overall the report represents a genuine attempt to reach a way forward. At last there is cross party recognition that the current policy causes only suffering and waste. The report contains some really practical suggestions which I think will be widely welcomed.
"We will, however, utterly resist any attempts to make Cottingley Springs bigger. Cottingley is poorly designed and lacking in facilities such as shops, play facilities, schools and health services.
"We much prefer the idea of smaller family-sized sites which can be more easily integrated into existing communities."
The report considered by councillors yesterday can be viewed in full here.
'First step to cover diverse housing needs'
Executive board member for neighbourhoods and housing councillor Peter Gruen thanked the scrutiny board for its work and said the proposals would be considered by the executive board. He added:
"We will take your recommendations seriously and will get a report to executive board as quickly as possible. Some recommendations may be more straightforward than others. Funding may may be an issue and we may have to seek some support for this work.
"This is the first step to cover the diverse needs of people living in the city and I welcome the report."
Scrutiny board chairman Barry Anderson said that the inquiry, which had taken place over several months, had been 'very involved' and that a lot of information and evidence had been heard. He read a note from Conservative councillor Joe Marjoram who expressed concern whether Leeds had more pressing housing needs given the increasingly finite resources at the council's disposal.
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