Issue - meetings

Decision:

(1)   That the provision of a Gypsy and Traveller Transit Site in Surrey, as progressed by the Surrey Leaders’ Group, be supported and that the Council commits to a one-off contribution of £127,000 in capital funding for the construction of the site and an annual contribution of £7,500 revenue funding for the maintenance of the site.

(2)   That the £115,000 for Traveller encampments remaining on the provisional capital programme (Scheme PL60(p)) be repurposed and that a virement of £12,000 be taken from the contingency fund to increase the budget to £127,000.

(3)   That the provisional budget be transferred to the approved capital programme.

Reasons:

To enable Surrey County Council to build a 10-pitch transit site that will enable the Police to invoke their section 62A powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and help manage unauthorised encampments across the county.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

None.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the lead or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None

The Executive considered a report supporting the provision of a traveller transit site for Surrey. Due to the impact unauthorised encampments made on local communities the Surrey Leaders’ Group had identified the need for a transit site for Surrey. The transit site would be a location where unauthorised encampments could be relocated in the short term. It was proposed that a ten-pitch transit site within the county border at a location yet to be confirmed should be built with the financial contributions from the Police and ten of the district and borough councils. The contribution from Guildford would be £127,000. The host borough would not be requested to make a financial contribution and the remediation costs of the site would be met by Surrey County Council (SCC). The site would be acquired by SCC and managed by the SCC Gypsy and Traveller Liaison Team. It was hoped this would provide the pilot for future similar schemes. It was announced that tentative discussions had commenced to consider another site on the other side of the County.

There was no allocated budget for the expenditure. However, the Executive was asked to consider the sum of £115,000 that was designated for Traveller encampments that remained on the provisional capital programme (Scheme PL60(p)) together with a virement of £12,000 taken from the capital contingency fund to make up the total contribution.

Accordingly, the Executive

RESOLVED

(1)   That the provision of a Gypsy and Traveller Transit Site in Surrey, as progressed by the Surrey Leaders’ Group, be supported and that the Council commits to a one-off contribution of £127,000 in capital funding for the construction of the site and an annual contribution of £7,500 revenue funding for the maintenance of the site.

(2)   That the £115,000 for Traveller encampments remaining on the provisional capital programme (Scheme PL60(p)) be repurposed and that a virement of £12,000 be taken from the capital contingency fund to increase the budget to £127,000.

(3)   That the provisional budget be transferred to the approved capital programme.

Reason:

To enable Surrey County Council to build a 10-pitch transit site that will enable the Police to invoke their section 62A powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and help manage unauthorised encampments across the county.