What priority will be given to applicants for funding for Gypsy/Traveller sites in local authority areas that do not have residential or tr…

The invitation to local authorities to apply for funding from the Gypsy/Traveller Site Grant 2008-09 to 2009-10 indicated that bids for new residential or transit sites would be particularly welcome. It also indicated that where strong bids for these purposes were received they may be given priority for funding. The decision to encourage bids for new sites responds to evidence of unmet demand in some areas and that investment in recent years has been dominated by refurbishing existing sites.
In assessing bids, a number of criteria will be taken into account including evidence of need and demand level, the suitability and sustainability of the proposed site and whether it represents good use of money rather than whether a local authority already has other residential Gypsy/Traveller sites (there are currently no transit sites in Scotland).