There are no details of where or how much yet, but Pembrokeshire Council has published details of plans to buy land for additional gypsy and traveller pitches in Pembrokeshire.

A need identified for at least 11 pitches by the end of 2024 with six already granted permission and the new proposals have the potential for seven more, as approval is granted under delegated powers.

A delegated decision report published this week states that Pembrokeshire County Council will buy an agreed area of land, subject to planning permission, to help meet the immediate future need, in the south of the county.

The acquisition will provide a “positive impact on Gypsy and Traveller community who are allocated accommodation in the scheme, and on those families currently overcrowded whose family members will be allocated to pitches,” the report states.

The council has a statutory duty to meet need for pitches and the lack of identified sites in its updated Local Development Plan (LDP 2) led to a category A objection from Welsh Government, and it must be resubmitted.

The site currently under consideration is outside the settlement boundary and therefore of lower financial value than alternative blocks of land within the settlement boundary.

Welsh Government funding “to cover the cost of delivering the site” can be applied for and “officers consider there is a high likelihood of obtaining grant funding as was the case for the delivery of the Gypsy and Traveller site extension at Kilgetty and the Council has been successful for a number of past bids for new pitches or site improvements.”

The delegated decision has been taken by cabinet member for housing operations and regulatory services Cllr Michelle Bateman in consultation with chief housing officer Gaynor Toft.

Funds for buying the land have been allocated in the capital programme.