Agenda and decisions

Forward Plan Ref: 2014/047

Contact: Richard Webb, Trading Standards & Community Safety Manager Tel: (01865) 815791

Report by Director for Social & Community Services (CMDPC4).

Ealing Council owns and manages a single traveller site. This site consists of 24 plots. In April 2013 Ealing Council approached Oxfordshire County Council and requested we provide support to assist them to manage this site as a result of the retirement of the site manager employed by that Council. The Council's Gypsy and Traveller Service has been providing support to Ealing Council since this time. Ealing Council have now asked the Gypsy and Traveller Service to manage the site under a contractual agreement for a period of 3 years.

This report provides background to this opportunity to contract to provide a gypsy and traveller service for Ealing Council. The report contains a full appraisal of the costs, benefits, opportunities and risks involved should Oxfordshire County Council enter into a contract with Ealing Council. Cabinet Member approval is required to enter into a contract for the provision of services to another authority. This paper is intended to enable the Cabinet Member for Policy Coordination to decide whether to authorise the provision of traveller site management services for Ealing Council.

The Cabinet Member for Policy Coordination is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)    approve the provision of traveller site management services to Ealing Council, and

(b)    authorise the Trading Standards and Community Safety Manager to enter into a legal agreement to that effect with the Ealing Council.