BROMSGROVE is one of 37 areas in the country to receive up to £50,000 worth of Government funding to tackle unauthorised and illegal traveller encampments in the green belt.
The news the district council would get the full £50k allocation came during an announcement by Housing Minister Esther McVey.
The cash will be put towards establishing an out of hours service, forming a local enforcement plan and training officers on the enforcement options available to them when dealing with unauthorised developments and encampments.
Some of the funding will also be invested in the council’s website to make breaches easier to report for the public.
The Government is also planning to throw out existing guidelines on illegal encampments so it can be replaced with a tougher approach signed off by experts.
The move will give residents greater peace of mind.
Bromsgrove District Council applied for the cash in August and the selected authorities were revealed at the end of last week.
Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid said: “This cash-boost is fantastic news for residents.
“We’re fortunate to be surrounded by so much beautiful green belt, however unfortunately this makes us a prime-target for those who seek to illegally develop.
“As I know from my experience as a resident and MP, these developments can be a real blight on small communities.
“Increased funding to tackle this issue is welcome news and I congratulate Bromsgrove District Council on securing this cash boost.”
Coun Adam Kent, Bromsgrove District Council’s portfolio holder for Planning and Regulatory Service, said he was delighted the authority’s application for the funding had been successful.
“We are continually fighting battles with those that would abuse our district with illegal buildings and developments and this money will help strengthen the team and planning to deal with these issues quickly.”
A spokesperson for Bromsgrove District Council said: “In terms of traveller encampments, we had one incident in the last two years (land at Billesley Lane, Portway).
“However, the fact the district council only deals with unauthorised encampments on an infrequent basis inevitably makes it inherently difficult to develop and maintain expertise and good practice in this area.
“The secured funding will go some way to tackling this.”
