BASILDON councillors are expected to reject calls to increase the numbers of legal travellers sites in the district.

The East of England Regional Assembly is proposing two options for future provision in the region.

One sees Basildon make room for 157 more caravan pitches, while the other would see an extra around 90 pitches and other councils obliged to provide at least 15 plots each.

Basildon already has 106 legal pitches and more than 200 illegal plots.

The council will call for more sites throughout the region at its next cabinet meeting.

Council leader Malcolm Buckley said: "It is time for other areas to accept their share of traveller plots and for more money to be made available to finance legal sites."

ends.