Councils 'hiring consultants' to find suitable gypsy and traveller sites

Nine councils came under fire today for spending around £250,000 of taxpayers' money hiring consultants to find gypsy and traveller sites.

Bournemouth and Poole Councils have now joined seven councils across Dorset by contributing £14,000 and £10,000 respectively to the task.

Town hall bosses have struggled to find suitable permanent residential and transit pitches in time for the 2011 deadline as set out in the Government's Regional Spatial Strategy.

But critics say hiring £250,000 consultants to do the job is "passing the buck".

Mark Wallace, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "Of course it is right that the councils don't duplicate any work but they should be asking whether they really need such costly consultants for this task at all.

"We are all aware how controversial these sites are and taxpayers will be worried councillors will be using experts as a way of passing the buck when they chose an unpopular site.

"Unfortunately this is yet another example of central Government policy imposing large amounts of trouble and massive costs on local government unfairly."

The £250,000 comes as one of the nine councils - Weymouth and Portland - is closing a women's refuge because it does not cater for men.

Critics argued that the move is to save the refuge's annual £83,000 running costs.

An advert on the Dorset County Council website has called for consultants to take on the role and prepare a detailed report on the potential sites.

Dave Ayre, head of gypsy and traveller services at Dorset County Council, said: "Rather than each district, unitary or borough council making their own arrangements, appointing their own consultants, we have decided to share the costs, share the pain if you like, and get a more holistic approach."

Poole needs to find 35 residential pitches and eight transit pitches by 2011 but the council disputes these figures.

It is already refurbishing a site at Mannings Heath for 15 residential pitches.

Councillor Ron Parker said: "We have tried to identify a suitable transit site but this has proved very difficult given the limited amount of available and appropriate land in Poole.

"The logical approach for the council now is to join our neighbours across Dorset in carrying out a wider search to identify the most appropriate areas for sites.

"By working together, I am confident we can all achieve a consistent and cost-effective approach to tackling this issue."

The joint plan recommended by consultants would need to be adopted by each authority with the project due for completion in 2012.

Shadow local government and planning minister Bob Neill said: "This all stems from John Prescott's controversial planning rules that are forcing councils to following binding regional targets for traveller encampments, irrespective of local wishes.

"Whatever their original intentions, the Labour Government's policies on travellers threaten to undermine cohesion and increase tensions in the community."