South Gloucestershire Council leaders approved the funding
Northwood Park Traveller site in Winterbourne(Image: Google Maps)
Urgent repairs costing £1.1million at a permanent Travellers site near Bristol have been approved.
South Gloucestershire councillors agreed the works for Northwood Park in Winterbourne, including replacing the drainage, installing new pipework, upgrading electricity supplies to the 19 plots, and renovating the on-site office which is ‘not deemed fit for occupation’.
A report to cabinet members said: “Originally built in the 1990s, significant improvements and repairs are required to address urgent and serious health and safety concerns.
“The immediate requirement is for the following works:
“Replacement of surface water drainage system – The system has failed and requires frequent use of pumps.
“Surveys indicate the system is dated and insufficient for purpose;
“Field clearance. – To complete the new surface water drainage system, major works are required to the field to install the new pipework and retention tank;
“Electrical upgrades to supply to individual plots – There is a need to undertake essential electrical work on the site.
“This relates to works required on each plot to comply with landlord electrical certification;
“On-site works to the office – Health and safety officers have undertaken a recent review of the office premises on site and deemed it to be in poor condition, as such the office is currently not deemed fit for occupation;
“Creation of a new bin store – Waste collections take place from the front of the site only.
“There is no current way of managing how bins and refuse are stored leading to an overflow of rubbish and an ongoing health and safety issue.
“A new bin store is proposed to enable better control of waste and rubbish across the site and to improve environmental standards.”
It added: “These repairs represent work which has accumulated over a number of years.
“The works to the site will improve the standard of living enabling the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities to live safely and positively impact their working lives as well as positively impacting the education of children and young people living on the site by ensuring a better home environment, which is evidenced to support educational attainment.
“The works will also address and improve the health and safety standards leading to better life chances and opportunities for residents and will support the local authority to meet its public sector equality duty by giving the residents equality of opportunity and improve relations with the wider local community.”
The report to the meeting on Monday, April 13, said the drainage works would reduce flood risk and that new bin storage should prevent pollution from fly-tipping, ‘reducing risks to wildlife and soil and watercourses’.
The works will be paid for through additional borrowing and use of reserves.
Cabinet also approved £600,000 of capital spending to replace two chillers that are supposed to keep office workers cool and comfortable at Bristol & Bath Science Park.
The report said one had already failed beyond economic repair and was permanently switched off, while the other was unreliable, having suffered three significant failures over the past two years, and at the end of its useful life.
It said a feasibility study in 2025 assessing options favoured replacing the chillers like-for-like rather than installing an air source heat pump which would be significantly more expensive.
The report added: “It is recommended that consideration be given to replacement of the solar panels on the site which would help to offset the impacts of replacing chillers with a like-for-like solution with support from the climate and nature emergency budget.”