MORE needs to be done to accommodate the needs of gipsies and travellers in Cumbria, according to a new report A study looking at how councils in Cumbria are accommodating the needs of the travelling community has found a large number of gipsy families have to resort to staying on unauthorised roadside encampments or live in trailers in the grounds of private houses.
The report was commissioned by Cumbria's six district councils, the county council and the Lake District National Park Authority and concluded that more officially-authorised sites were needed to address current overcrowded conditions.
The study, which included the views of housing and planning officers and gipsies living in Cumbria, estimates there are at least 771 gipsies and travellers living in Cumbria, even though there are no local authority-run sites.
There are, however, two private sites - in Carlisle and Eden - and at least 120 gipsy and traveller families living in bricks and mortar accommodation.
For full story see this week's Westmorland Gazette.
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