SOMERSET County Council has been landed with a £7,500 bill after a group of travellers camped at a park and ride site for nearly a week. 

But where are the sites available to travellers across the county?

Somerset’s five district or borough councils are responsible for providing travellers sites, either on public land or through private provision.

A spokeswoman for Taunton Deane Borough Council said: “There are currently 18 residential gypsy sites, one residential travellers’ site and one travelling showman’s site in Taunton Deane.

“These are all in private ownership and we are unable to provide further details regarding these sites.

“There is one transit site in public ownership at Otterford, which we are in negotiations with Somerset County Council to purchase.”

West Somerset Council has no travellers sites which are publicly owned, and there is one privately owned site in the district.

A spokeswoman for Sedgemoor District Council said: “There are 12 pitches on the Westonzoyland site, which is currently full.

“This is the only site that we currently have at this time. As far as we are aware we haven’t received any request from travellers for a site.”

South Somerset District Council has three sites, all of which are fully occupied – six pitches at Ilton, eight pitches at Tintinhull and a single pitch in Pitney.

Mendip District Council reported in June 2017 that it had “around 35 existing private sites” which either had permission or were long-established.