THE announcement that £1.1m is to be spent cleaning up the illegal travellers site at Haldon has been welcomed.

Teignbridge Council said the government funding will offer a 'brighter future' for the site and a smaller number of people who will be able to remain there.

Kenn Parish Council also welcomed the news, saying that it wanted to be closely involved in the site's design, to make sure it blended into the landscape.

But the Advertiser could find no one on the site willing to comment and was asked to leave.

Last week it was announced that a bid for Homes and Community Agency funding was successful, allowing local authorities to tackle this long-standing problem.

The land, owned by Devon County Council, has been occupied for ten years and is thought to house around 30 traveller families in a variety of lorries, teepees and caravans.

Although illegal, it has been tolerated because of the shortage of traveller pitches.

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