MERSEYSIDE will be asked to open up to a dozen new permanent sites for gipsies and travellers, the Daily Post can reveal.

The new areas will need to provide enough space for an extra 180 caravans and tents, under plans drawn up by the North West’s regional assembly.

But at least one Merseyside borough council says it plans to “strongly challenge” the proposals during consultation.

The regional assembly, known as 4NW, is meeting all the Liverpool city region’s councils and the traveller community to discuss the plans.

It says there is an “urgent need” to address the shortfall in suitable accommodation for gipsies and travellers. Without permanent pitches, their communities can miss out on public services like health and education, as well as employment opportunities.

The assembly also says, when gipsies are forced to use unauthorised sites without planning permission, they are put on a collision course with local communities.

It has sent a draft policy to each borough outlining how many additional pitches they will be asked to provide by 2016.

But Cllr Brenda Porter, who is Sefton’s cabinet member for communities, and chairs the borough’s gipsy and traveller working group, last night called for more “fairness” in how the additional pitches are spread across the city region.

Sefton is being asked to find more pitches than either Liverpool, Wirral or Knowsley.

Cllr Porter said: “This has come from the Government, but there’s got to be a fairness with it also. There’s not enough information out there to cover this request.”

In a report on the issue, planning officers from Sefton added: “Subject to further adequate explanation being received, the figures will be strongly challenged.”

Michael Gallagher, 4NW’s director or planning, transport and housing, drew up the assembly’s draft policy.

He said: “The Government requests regions to identify pitch provision for gypsies and travelling show people. This is our first set of formal thoughts on how the figures could be distributed and we’re testing people’s reaction to that.”

He added: “There’s a lot of over-crowding and some gipsies and travelling show people have gone into ‘bricks and mortar’.“

Liverpool and Sefton both operate one site each for gipsies and travellers.