Issue - meetings

Recommended:    That Council give approval to:

  i)      Option 1 to provide financial support for the extension of the Osbaldwick Travellers Site.

ii)     A capital budget of £763.5k to be funded from external grant of £423.5k and prudential borrowing of £340k.

iii)    Note the prudential borrowing will be repayable from additional rental income and that the terms of the borrowing and repayments will be agreed by the Director of Customer & Business Support Services.                                    

Reason:   To ensure that the council plays an active role in meeting the long term accommodation needs of the travelling community

Members considered a report which requested approval and part funding, combined with funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to support the extension of the Osbaldwick Travellers site. The development agreed by the Planning Committee at their meeting on 24 October provided 6 additional pitches, grazing land for horses and amenity space.

It was reported that overcrowding was an issue on existing pitches, owing to a need to accommodate extended families including young children and elderly relatives and due to a shortfall of provision across the city. The Council currently held a waiting list of approximately 24 households seeking a York Travellers site pitch.

Further information on population growth amongst the traveller population over the Local Plan period 2015-2030 was reported together with details of the proposal, including scheme plan and consultation undertaken at paragraphs 9 to 27 of the report.

The Cabinet Member referred to comments of earlier speakers and to the discrimination and alienation of the community. Thanks were expressed to the Planning Committee for their full consideration of the planning application and for approval given to the extension of the site. The Cabinet Member referred to increases in the scheme costs of £135k which, following discussion, the HCA had agreed to provide an additional £81k match funding to reflect the anticipated scheme costs.

Members expressed their support for the proposals to address the proven need of the community and for ongoing dialog with both the travelling and the wider community to alleviate concerns.

Consideration was then given to the release of funding to support the extension of the Osbaldwick Travellers site and it was

Recommended:    That Council give approval to:

  i)      Option 1 to provide financial support for the extension of the Osbaldwick Travellers Site.

ii)     A capital budget of £763.5k to be funded from external grant of £423.5k and prudential borrowing of £340k.

iii)    Note the prudential borrowing will be repayable from additional rental income and that the terms of the borrowing and repayments will be agreed by the Director of Customer & Business Support Services.  ^1.                                  

Reason:   To ensure that the council plays an active role in meeting the long term accommodation needs of the travelling community