Somerset Council has quietly removed approximately £109,000 previously allocated for developing a new travellers’ site near Taunton from its capital budget. The funding originally came from the former Taunton Deane Borough Council and was carried over when Somerset Council was established in April 2023, replacing the county council and four district councils.
The money was initially set aside to establish a temporary transit site for gypsy, Roma, and traveller communities, aiming to prevent unauthorised encampments on public green spaces. However, during a recent review of the council’s finances, officers admitted the funds were removed from the capital programme due to the absence of a deliverable site.
Councillor Simon Coles (Lib Dem, Taunton East) expressed longstanding concerns about the lack of provision for travellers in the area. He highlighted that around £100,000 had been reserved for site provision since the days of Taunton Deane Borough Council but remained unused. “If we don’t make a provision, we can only expect continued incursions into our parks and open spaces,” Coles warned.
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Councillor Hazel Prior-Sankey (Independent, Taunton South) noted persistent challenges in acquiring land for sites, attributing this to prejudice that prevented landowners from selling suitable plots to the council.
Chris Hall, Somerset Council’s executive director for community, place, and economy, clarified the funding was not a government grant but was an allocation funded by borrowing. He confirmed this borrowing allocation was removed during the council’s financial emergency review: “It’s not that we have the money and are not spending it – it’s that we don’t have it.”
Currently, Somerset manages three dedicated traveller sites at Chubbards Cross (Ilton), Marsh Lane (Tintinhull), and Pitney. Councillor Liz Leyshon (Lib Dem, Street) explained that while government grants could be pursued to fund additional sites, identifying suitable land remains the primary obstacle.
Previously, plans to create a travellers’ site north of Porchestall Drove using Glastonbury’s £23.6 million town deal funding were withdrawn in early 2024 due to flooding concerns. Attempts to repurpose the site for a solar farm were also refused. The council purchased an undisclosed alternative site in mid-2024, with new planning applications expected later in the year.
Councillor Susannah Hart (Conservative, Glastonbury) mentioned that Glastonbury Town Council is open to offering some of its land as a “meanwhile site” that would provide temporary pitches with utilities.
Despite years of effort, the council has been unable to identify or secure a viable travellers’ site near Taunton, resulting in the removal of the £109,000 borrowing allocation designated for this purpose.