By Hayley Robinson

Plans to provide permanent sites for gipsies and travellers in the Swale area have been put on hold.

Thirty pieces of land were earmarked across the borough as potential sites, to meet the need for 62 pitches as allocated to Swale council by the South East Plan which aimed to provide sites across the South East.

The sites were then screened in line with government guidance on the planning aspects of finding sites for gipsies and travellers and how local authorities can work with those communities together to achieve that aim.

However, the coalition government has since announced the abolition of the South East Plan and there is now uncertainty about the guidelines set out in the circular.

As a result members of the Local Development Framework Panel agreed when they met at Swale House, East, Sittingbourne, to hold fire on making any decision about the earmarked sites until central government announces a new policy framework.

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Roger Truelove (Lab) said: "By abolishing the South East Plan the government is effectively saying it's up to the council to decide what we want to do.

"But like the planning officers are saying, we still need to find these sites.

"People might say 'oh good we won't have gipsy sites near us' but we will still have temporary and some illegal sites until this is resolved."