Wales Travellers

Pressure is growing on councils to provide more sites for the gypsy and traveller community.

Some Welsh councils currently do not provide any official sites at all.

In future all local authorities could be required to provide enough legal sites, proposed in a bill to be introduced later this month.

One traveller in Conwy says she has been forced into hiding because of hostility - and says an official site would be the answer to her dreams.

The Welsh Government says it wants to impose a new legal duty on local councils, to force them to provide new gypsy and traveller sites where a need has been identified.

Jeff Cuthbert, Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister, announced that the Wales Housing Bill will be introduced on 18 November.

He said: "if the proposed new legislation is passed, it will result in the creation of new sites where there is evidence of need - this in turn will reduce the number of unauthorised encampments."

Proposals for new sites in various parts of Wales have proven controversial in recent months.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board says it will now be taking legal proceedings to take back possession of the car park at Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.

It says it had asked a group of travellers from France, who have parked caravans in a section of the staff car park, to leave by 4pm today - but they are still on site.

Health bosses in Newport say they have asked a group of travellers who have blocked staff car park spaces at the Royal Gwent Hospital to leave by 4pm today - or they will begin legal proceedings.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: "Following advice given by our legal advisers, the Health Board yesterday issued letters to the travellers requesting that they vacate the site by 4:00pm today."

"If this does not happen, as advised we will move to the next stage in the process which is to commence legal proceedings."

Doctors and emergency staff have been turned away from their own hospital after a group of travellers moved in. Hundreds of NHS workers were blocked from parking at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport after the French travellers set up camp in the staff car park.

Surgeons, doctors and nurses were turned away after 14 caravans moved onto the staff-designated car park. Hospital spokesman Julian Hayman said the 300-space car park would be closed to staff for three days after the travellers told them they will "move on shortly".

Mr Hayman said medical staff would need to make alternative arrangements for parking until the caravans moved on.

Newport City Council said the creation of permanent sites for gypsies and travellers in the region went out to consultation last month and the final version of the plan will go before full council later this year