CHESHIRE East Council has been handed £900,000 to build 12 new pitches for gipsies in the borough.

Communities Minister Andrew Stunell announced last week the successful bids for £60 million of funding that will provide hundreds of new authorised pitches as well as better facilities for travellers on official sites.

This figure includes the new pitches for east Cheshire.

This new support for official traveller pitches goes hand in hand with action against unauthorised traveller sites.

Through the Localism Bill, the Government is introducing stronger powers for councils to tackle the abuse of retrospective planning permission.

These strengthened powers are helping councils tackle any form of unauthorised development.

The new authorised travellers’ sites will provide help to reduce the number of unauthorised sites, which create tensions between travellers and the settled community.

Communities Minister Andrew Stunell said: “This funding will help provide sites in a way that reflects local need in consultation with the local community.

“It will assist hundreds of traveller families find sites where they want to live and foster better relations with the existing communities and councils.”

A Cheshire East Council spokesman said: “It is important to stress that the £900,000 we have secured from the Homes and Communities Agency is not attached to the development of any particular site in Cheshire East.

“The money can only be accessed once planning permission has been granted. Therefore the planning process for the Parkers Road application, in Crewe, will not be prejudged.

“As a council, we have a legal duty to look at the housing needs of gipsies and travellers, and assessments indicate we need to increase the number of pitches available in Cheshire East.

“Cheshire East teamed up with Cheshire West and Chester Council and Warrington Borough Council in a joint Cheshire bid.

“Further details and the proposed location of pitches will now be discussed between all parties before moving forward.”