Planning for travellers task group only met once during 2023-24

The planning for travellers task group – made up of councillors – was set up to identify and recommend a site to the cabinet but this is yet to happen, with significant delays over the issue.

As previously reported, funding has been set aside in the Labour-run council’s capital budget for the facility, which would allow officers to direct groups to the land.

Hundreds of pieces of land have been assessed for the site but none have been deemed to be deliverable.

At its meeting next Tuesday, the council’s cabinet is being recommended to ‘re-appoint’ a number of cabinet task groups, working groups and other boards.

These comprise the councillor development forum, corporate parenting forum, planning for travellers task group, waste strategy task group, refugee task group, devolution task group and extreme weather board.

A report to cabinet says: “The purpose of the planning for travellers task group is to oversee and provide directional guidance on a project with a definitive end date.

“The group met once during 2023-24. It is proposed that this task group continue with its work for 2024-25.”

It is also recommended that appointments to the task groups are made, along with noting that group leaders will advise of further appointments to the vacant positions – and also delegating authority to the director of law and governance, following consultation with the council leader, to finalise the membership for 2024-25.