THE Gypsy and Traveller Sites Grant which Cheshire West and Chester has applied for is a Government initiative.
The funding is for local authorities and registered social landlords to create new sites and refurbish existing sites.
The grant programme is co-ordinated through the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
One of the key aims of the HCA is to create homes that people can afford in places where they want to live – this includes providing sites for the Gypsy and Traveller community.
The programme aims to increase the number of quality authorised sites throughout England and £97m of grants are available from 2008-2011.
The role of the HCA, which is managing the grant programme from 2009-2011, is to promote and manage the annual bidding round, manage the assessment of applications, allocate funding evaluate funded schemes.
It liaises with regional assemblies and local authorities to ensure decisions on grant allocations take into account their view of priorities, and encourage stakeholders to consider the needs of Gypsies and Travellers within housing strategies and related areas.
