TEN sites for Travellers and Gypsies are to be made available in Wirral.

Cabinet members will tonight be told that an assessment indicates the borough needs to introduce "six permanent sites and four transit pitches" by 2018.

A further two permanent pitches will have to be found by 2032, according to the “Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment for Merseyside and West Lancashire.”

A report to be studied by councillors today, Thursday says there are presently no official sites on the peninsula.

It says under the Government’s "Planning Policy for Traveller Sites," local authorities must consider the needs of the travelling community in their planning strategies.

The council will now be obliged to include the encampments in its local masterplan, and will have to start the process of earmaking suitable sites to be developed.

A series of public consultations will be necessary before a decision on locations is made.

The findings were reached following interviews with Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople.

Discussions were also held with representative bodies including the Irish Community Care Merseyside and the Showman’s Guild of Great Britain.

The review points out Wirral had a particular issue with unauthorised encampments during the year-long study period, when 45 such incidents were recorded.

This was due to repeated encampments by one travelling family group, “which has been taken into account when determining the need for transit provision in the borough.”

The assessment says there is a range of requirements in the region - from an apparent over-supply in Liverpool to a need for 22 pitches in West Lancashire.

Wirral had the second lowest requirement for permanent traveller sites, along with St Helens.

The study does not identify a need in Wirral for any Travelling Showpeople yards.