Work underway at residential Gypsy & Traveller site
Work is underway at Old Bangor Road, Conwy on the first residential Gypsy and Traveller site in Conwy County Borough.
The new site will provide four pitches to meet an identified accommodation need and offer safe, secure modern living conditions, which will help improve health, education and wellbeing.
The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 places a duty on all local authorities to make sure that the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers are properly assessed and the need for pitches is met.
Appropriate official sites need to be provided to reduce the number of unauthorised encampments and to ensure local authorities can enforce against unauthorised sites.
Permission to construct this permanent residential site at Old Bangor Road was granted in April 2015. The work is funded by a Welsh Government Sites Capital Grant of £542,000. Contractors are currently on site with the work scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2016.
Once completed, the four permanent residential pitches will be managed by Cartrefi Conwy with residents paying an affordable rent and Council Tax.
The whole scheme has come to fruition through the collaboration of Conwy County Borough Council, Welsh Government, Cartrefi Conwy, Capita and local contractor Brenig Construction.
Conwy’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Chris Hughes said, “I’m really pleased to see work on the site progressing so well, especially given the awful weather we’ve had this winter. It’s important that we improve access to health, education and wellbeing, and give all families an improved quality of life.”
Cartrefi Conwy’s Gwynne Jones, Director of Operations said, “We’re delighted to be partnering with Conwy County Borough Council in delivering their strategic housing priorities to develop, maintain and manage a gypsy and traveller site. The occupants will benefit from Cartrefi Conwy’s ongoing standard of management services and support.”
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