HUNDREDS of gypsies and travellers are due to arrive in the Epping Forest district following Government suggestions that 52 more pitches should be set up in the area.

Epping Forest District Council is negotiating with the East of England Regional Assembly over the potential number of travellers coming in which it considers as far too high.

Council leader Di Collins said: "Most of it we don't agree with and we're still arguing our case. We don't agree with how they've come to these figures. They're not set in stone and hopefully it will be much less."

Each pitch will contain an average of two caravans along with community facilities including toilets, kitchens and dining areas. The council hopes to set up the pitches on six sites in the district possibly in combination with new developments.

Mrs Collins said: "We don't yet know how big an area we will have to give these pitches. It's likely to be quite substantial. The government will provide some money, but I'm sure local authorities will have to find some amount and this will have to come from council tax payers."

Senior planning officer Ian White added: "Six is what we regard as the most sites, but we don't know how many we will need in the district. We might need eight or nine. We really don't know the figure as to numbers, but they tend to have large families. We're certainly talking about hundreds."

The East of England Regional Assembly will give a final figure to the council as to how many pitches it must take in 2009.

The east of England already contains the highest number of pitches of any area in the country with Epping Forest currently hosting 69 authorised pitches.

Mrs Collins said: "This is still in the consultation process and we have some way to go. Our residents have needs, travellers have needs. We have to work with everybody but we don't want to penalise our own residents who are on waiting lists for housing. It's a difficult balancing act, but we will strive to find the best solution."