By Julian Whittle

Last updated 10:52, Friday, 18 July 2008

Carlisle City Council wants to open Cumbria’s first municipal gypsy camp, work on which could start next year.

Mike Mitchelson

Officials are negotiating to buy the former gypsy and traveller site at Ghyll Bank, Harker, north of the city.

It could open next summer housing 15 caravans, each with its own toilet block and car parking space.

The camp would also have a children’s play area, secure barrier entrance, street lights, communal room, a permanent manager and a site office.

Councillors this week agreed to release £100,000 to pay a deposit on the land and for architect fees. The £2m required for construction will come from central government.

They used powers under the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and members of the public from the meeting at the Civic Centre. The Act allows them to go into private session when they are discussing the cost or terms of buying property.

Council leader Mike Mitchelson said: “We will sign up to an option, which gives us 12 months to purchase the site. We will then consult the public before a decision is made to go ahead with it.

“We have been given a window of opportunity to apply for funding from the Government which would help us meet our legal requirements with regard to our planning and housing obligations. We have a duty of care to help and support all our communities – and travellers are a community.

“All district councils all over the country are going to have to examine their provision for travellers – or lack of it. We wanted to get in early to be sure of a share of the £6m funding available to the north west.

“By providing a site that is safe, secure and well-run we can help to prevent issues around unauthorised encampments and sites without the relevant planning permission.”

The council is applying for a government grant to fund the bulk of the scheme.

It expects to table a bid by July 31 for a third share of the government funding pot available to local authorities in the north west.

Building work is scheduled to start early in 2009.

There are no local authority gypsy sites in Cumbria and only two working private sites – Hadrian’s Park near Carlisle and Lakeland View, Penrith.

Hadrian’s Park is licensed for up to 70 caravans, 54 exclusively for gypsies/travellers.

Ghyll Bank has housed gypsy and traveller families in the past but is now shut. It is licensed for 30 caravans.

The council says there is demand for 50 new gypsy caravan pitches in Cumbria and that a “substantial proportion” should be in Carlisle.

An independent report puts the figure higher still.

Academics from Salford University argue that an extra 89 caravan pitches should be provided across Cumbria by 2016, 39 of them in Carlisle.

A countywide snapshot last summer revealed there were 107 caravans on unauthorised temporary pitches while 120 gypsy/traveller households were in permanent bricks-and-mortar homes. Others resorted to living in trailers in the grounds of private houses.

Dr Phil Brown, a research fellow at Salford University, said: “Families are living in a whole host of different ways. What seems to be the case in general is that there are not enough pitches available.”

The researchers estimate there are 771 gypsies and travellers in Cumbria.