DESIGNATED sites for Gypsy and Traveller families will not be provided in Caerphilly County Borough - despite a need for 11 new sites.

A Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment, which was presented to Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet on July 13, stated there was an unmet need for 11 mobile home sites in the county borough.

The assessment included interviews with nine people who all identified as Roma Gypsies, with all those consulted saying they were happy where they were based and did not want to join the council’s pitch or housing waiting list.

Just 0.02 per cent of Caerphilly County Borough’s population identified as ‘Gypsy or Irish Traveller’ according to the 2011 census.

Currently, there are three unauthorised sites in the county borough occupied by Travellers, two of which are in Ynysddu and Rhymney. The location of the third is unclear.

One application was refused planning approval, but an appeal has been submitted. Another is due to be presented to the planning committee, while a third is awaiting validation. If these are refused, the council may need to find alternative sites.

These sites will be kept under review by the Gypsy and Traveller accommodation working group, which meets biannually.

The report presented to the cabinet said: “Over the last 10 years on average there were one or two instances of unauthorised encampments per year taking place on public-owned land.

“Encampments taking place during this period typically lasted less than one week and consisted of two to three caravans. These encampments would have been managed by the environmental health team in accordance with the council’s protocol for managing such encampments.”

At a housing and regeneration scrutiny committee meeting, Independent councillor Bob Owen asked if the local authority should provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers.

Cllr Owen, who represents Risca West, said: “We could collect rubbish and have cleaner sites than if we leave them to their own devices – is there an attraction to provide sites?”

He added: “It’s always a bit controversial when we’re talking about Travellers, but clearly it is a worry when it’s in various wards, but a lot of the time they just move on.”

Head of housing at the council, Nick Taylor-Williams, said the findings of the survey did not indicate that the council needed to provide sites.

However, he added: “If we did, we would have a bit more control. It’s not something we are contemplating currently given the findings of the report.”

Plaid Cymru councillor Colin Mann echoed Cllr Owen’s comments and questioned if it would be “more sensible” to provide sites to avoid people residing on unauthorised sites.

Cllr Mann added: “There’s probably more demand than we’re being told. This is and can be a controversial situation and I’m not convinced we’re handling it properly by not doing anything.”

The report presented to the cabinet stated that in future, a regional approach could address the lack of provision.