Fife shares £20m pot to improve traveller sites in region

Fife Council and Clackmannanshire Council is to receive a share of £20 million made available by the Scottish Government for so-called ‘demonstration projects’ which will effectively set standards for sites that can be replicated elsewhere across the country.

It is understood new chalets will be installed at both Tarvit Mill in Cupar and Heatherywood in Thornton, near Kirkcaldy.

An interim site design guide for sites has also been published ahead of the work which is intended to help local authorities with new builds and site redevelopment, to meet the varying needs of families, including children, older and disabled people.

The cash to develop the model sites will come from the Scottish Government’s Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund, which earmarked up to £20 million over the five years from 2021 to 2026 for both significant renovation and improvements of standards on existing sites and the building of new sites.

Paul Short, Fife Council service manager, said the council was waiting for confirmation from the Scottish Government as to how much funding it will get.

But he added: "Any additional funding will help us improve sites at Tarvit Mill in Cupar and Heatherywood in Thornton for travellers over the next two years.

"The council is funding work planned to install residential mobile homes at these sites and any Scottish Government money will help provide community facilities, digital access and renewable energy initiatives."

Tarvit Mill was identified as the first site in the region to have chalets installed, and most of the preparatory work has been done.

A decant area has also been identified to relocate people who wish to remain on the site during the works.

Meanwhile, although Heatherywood had new amenity blocks installed in 2019, tenants there expressed a desire for chalets to be created and these have been programmed within the 2022/23 financial year.

Fife Council has also stressed that there are no current plans to alter provision at the region’s third permanent site at Thornton Wood, Kelty, although a full consultation with tenants will take place in 2022.

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