MAKEOVER FOR TRAVELLERS' SITE

East Sussex County Council has won a 255,000 grant to upgrade the site.

The County Council is also contributing 85,000 from its own resources to bring the total investment to 340,000. Work will include the replacement of existing amenity blocks, disabled facilities in one unit, improved site lighting and re-surfacing of the site road. The refurbishment will be carried out during this financial year (2006/07).

Councillor Bob Tidy, Lead Member for Community Services, said the money was good news for East Sussex. "The funding will enable us to bring the facilities at Maresfield up to the proper standard. It will also help with our overall strategy to provide and maintain the small number of authorised traveller sites we need in the county."

The County Council believes that proper site provision will help to reduce unauthorised camping and boost relationships between travellers and local people, local authorities and the police.

"We want to strike the right balance between the needs of both the settled and Traveller communities in the county," said Councillor Tidy. "We know that listening and talking to all the groups involved is also vital. We have a traveller strategy which is now out for consultation and we are members of the East Sussex Traveller Forum which meets regularly to discuss issues. Initiatives like these are the way forward to help overcome any problems."

The grant for Maresfield was won by the County Council with support from Wealden District Council, parish councillors, and Traveller organisations. It is part of an overall central Government funding package of 16.75m for 134 new pitches for Gypsies and Travellers and for the refurbishment of 57 sites across the UK.