'Why should I live by Gypsies?'

By Helen Grady
Producer, Beyond Westminster

Every year millions of pounds are spent by local councils on evicting Gypsies and travellers from illegal camp sites. The government thinks the answer is to create more authorised sites, but who should decide where they go?

Len Gridley has some problems with his neighbours. The first is that there are 1,000 of them. The second is that they have set up what has become Europe's biggest illegal traveller site next to his back garden.

"All I want is for the council to clear the site," said Mr Gridley as he showed the 8ft fence he has fitted to separate his garden from his neighbours' homes.

"Who wants to live next to a Gypsy and traveller site? My house used to be worth £500,000 and now it's worth £150,000. No one wants to live here. People have sold up at a loss just to get away."

The site is in Cray's Hill, a picturesque village in the Essex countryside, which has become the focus of a planning row that is likely to cost the local council £3m.

Illegal settlement

The site backing onto Mr Gridley's bungalow is known as Dale Farm. It is owned by Gypsies and Irish Travellers, some of whom have been living there since the 1970s.

Grattan Puxon, a spokesman for the Dale Farm Residents, said the site expanded after some families bought an old scrap yard adjoining the original site. "As the families got bigger, they believed it was a quite a reasonable idea to clean up the old scrap yard and move onto it," he explained.

But only half of the Dale Farm site has planning permission and more than 400 people are facing eviction following a ruling by the Law Lords in May.

Basildon District Council, has spent almost £1m on the legal battle to evict the Travellers and set aside another £2m to pay for bailiffs to clear the illegal section of the site.

Council leader Tony Ball said it was worth the cost, adding "It's quite clear - they are living on green belt land without planning permission. UK law says that site has to be restored to green belt. What price upholding the law? The alternative is anarchy."

But families at Dale Farm claim they have nowhere else to go. And, although they are travellers by birth, they say they need a base.

"I don't know how to read or write," said Jean Sheridan, a mother-of-four. "I've been brung up like a proper traveller - travelling from site to site and on the roads constantly, so I never got the chance to go to school and get an education.

"This is somewhere for us to live, plus somewhere for us to get our kids looked after in the lines of doctors and dentists and education and things like that."

"I'd be happy to move if they could find us another site," added a neighbour, who asked not to be named. "But nobody wants us, so where are they going to put us?"

Political dilemma

That is a dilemma politicians have been grappling with for decades. So far, a solution seems elusive. Although most Gypsies and travellers live in authorised sites, it still costs councils in England at least £18m a year to evict people from illegal sites.

The government thinks the best way to cut these costs is to create more authorised sites and is offering councils £32m each year in grants for these sites.

There is some evidence to suggest this approach could work. Kent has 17 council-run sites across the county and has slashed its eviction costs by 80%.

But other local authorities have proved reluctant even to identify Gypsy and traveller sites, never mind creating council-run ones.

In England, each region must agree how many sites each local council will set aside for Gypsies and travellers in a document called the Regional Spatial Strategy.

However, some councils are threatening to take legal action rather than agreeing, even in principle, to provide what they see as "more than their fair share."

Candy Sheridan, a Liberal Democrat councillor in North Norfolk and a member of an Irish Traveller family, said a big part of the problem is that even authorised sites are unpopular with the settled community.

"There is no ideal site," said Ms Sheridan. "I sit on a planning committee and whenever the word Gypsy or traveller comes in, you get hundreds of people coming to public meetings and everybody is goaded up to say no to planning permission.

"Councillors who have signed up to creating new sites have lost their seats. What you have to do is take the responsibility away from local politicians."

At the moment, even though councils must assess the housing needs of Gypsies and travellers and have a strategy for meeting those needs, there is no legal duty to provide sites.

Labour MP Clive Betts, a member of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, thinks that should change.

He told the BBC: "I think a lot of local authorities would welcome a statutory duty to have to do something because at least then they can go to their residents and say, 'we have to do something, let's find the best sites'."

Extra sites

But shadow local government spokesman Bob Neil said such decisions should be made at a local level and that the Conservatives would scrap the Regional Spatial Strategy.

Meanwhile Basildon District Council is advertising for bailiffs to evict the illegal Dale Farm residents and councillors are resisting calls to provide an extra 60 Gypsy and traveller pitches as part of the Regional Spatial Strategy.

Said Coun Ball: "If every authority in the country took an additional seven pitches that would deal with the demand that's out there at the moment.

"We would take seven extra pitches. But it is inequitable that, while Basildon already provides a 100, some are not providing any."

is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday 1 August at 1100 BST. Or listen again via the BBC
Or download the programme

Should Gypsies and travellers be housed on official sites funded by the taxpayer? Who should decide where they go - councils or Central Government? Are you a traveller? Do you live near an authorised site for travellers or an illegal camp? Send us your comments by filling in the form below.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8171273.stm

Published: 2009/08/01 01:26:51 GMT

Travellers hit back

A SUPPORT group for gypsies and travellers has blasted Henley Town Council’s decision not to help supply legal sites.

A spokesman for the National Federation of Romani Gypsy and Traveller Liaison Group said councillors should “come out of the dinosaur age”.

She said: “It is frustrating for us that people still have these antiquated views about gypsies and travelling people.

“We have had laws changed to protect us. People can still speak about gypsies in a very derogatory way. They would never speak like that about other people.

“Romani gypsies are an ethnic group who don’t choose their lifestyle — they have never known any other way. Gypsy people won’t change — by tradition they have an aversion to bricks and mortar.”

The Government Office for the South-East is asking the opinions of councils about providing land for travellers. It hopes that official sites would allow travellers better access to schools and healthcare, ensure that taxes and rent were collected and reduce illegal sites.

Last week, Henley councillors warned that offering parts of the town would lead to more illegal sites in the area and an increase in litter.

Speaking at a meeting of the finance strategy and management committee, Cllr Chris Pye said: “I don’t think we should be obliged to support travellers’ sites. There seem to be more and more travellers and increasing numbers of Eastern Europeans are arriving every year.

“By creating and providing more sites we are actually encouraging travellers to enter the country. Travellers, by their nature, always move on. They won’t want to stay at one legal site. They will come along for a brief time, do some roof repairs and then leave, normally dumping quite a lot of rubbish.”

Cllr Peter Skolar said: “If this scheme gave local authorities the power to remove illegal sites then I may be in favour of it but it doesn’t.

“There are already a lot of legal sites in Oxfordshire — the county council has been awarded a Charter Mark for its work — but we also have an awful lot of illegal sites.”

The Government says gypsies are the most excluded ethnic group in the UK. In June last year, there were 3,169 caravans in the South-East of which 2,466 or 78 per cent were authorised.

A government report on site provision is due next year. Locations for legal sites will then be decided by local authorities as part of their own area plans.

There are six permanent council-owned sites in Oxfordshire, providing 80 pitches, with another seven privately-run areas. The closest to Henley is The Sturt, at Oakley Wood, which has five plots.

What do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, Station Road, Henley, RG9 1AD or email letters@henleystandard.co.uk

Council's hunt for gypsy pitches

25 March 2009

LANDOWNERS are being asked if they have any room for gypsy caravans.

North Somerset Council must find 36 long stay and 10 short stay grounds by 2011 and wants people to contact them if they have a potential site.

There are 42 residential pitches in six locations across the district, but the council says it will only be able to eject travellers from illegal sites if it has the extra capacity.

The unitary authority's planning chief Elfan Ap Rees said: "We have to provide these sites over the next two years - we have no choice.

"We are inviting land owners to suggest sites but only those that meet our strict criteria are likely to be considered and even those will be subject to planning approval and public consultation.

"However if there is a sensible site available we would welcome an early planning application which meets our local plan policy.

"Frivolous planning applications for traveller sites are likely be disregarded as unsuitable."

No sites have yet been proposed, but the council will have to take into account any green belt, Mendip Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation sites and proximity of services.

Travellers using the sites would have to pay rent.

Anyone with a potential site is asked to telephone the council's planning policy team on 01934 426177 or e-mail planning.policy@n-somerset.gov.uk

Chaos warning over gypsy sites

chris.havergal@cambridge-news.co.uk

SNAIL-PACED bureaucracy could plunge gypsy and traveller policy in South Cambridgeshire into chaos, furious planners fear.

Hold-ups in producing a flagship strategy to identify new pitches in the district have sparked concerns travellers might have to be accommodated in the already overstretched affordable housing stock - and that sites with temporary permission will end up getting permanent consent.

Numerous sites in the area could be affected, particularly in Willingham, Cottenham, Histon and Impington.

Work on the strategy - known as the gypsy and traveller development plan document - got under way in 2006 but it is now not expected to be completed until 2011.

Consultants were employed to develop the project but were fired after less than two years because their work was not up to scratch.

It is now being produced in-house at South Cambridgeshire District Council, but members are angry about the delay.

At a meeting of the planning committee, councillors said traveller sites given temporary consent on the understanding the strategy would be ready when their permission came up for renewal might have to be given permanent approval.

And the meeting heard new developments in the Cambridge area such as Trumpington Meadows had no pitches allocated to them, when the strategy might have changed this.

It was suggested traveller families could be homed in affordable housing - but the council already has 4,000 families on its waiting list.

Cllr Sebastian Kindersley, the leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, said waiting five years for the strategy was "simply unacceptable".

He said: "We are missing opportunities because of this. There has been no mention of it in all our growth areas where we were expecting allocations for the gypsy and traveller community."

Cllr Kindersley said developers would have to accept the need to accommodate traveller sites in their developments.

Cllr Pippa Corney said temporary permissions were already coming up for renewal in her Willingham ward.

She said: "We have got temporary consents coming up next year and the year after and I am concerned about what we are going to do with them."

Cllr Nick Wright, the council's planning chief, told members he did not think other authorities were faring any better in producing the strategy.

Cllr David Bard, its new communities boss, added: "There are reasons why this seems to take an inordinate length of time but I can assure you it is high on our agenda and we are pushing it forward as fast as we can."

Gypsy and traveller site plan in Winterbourne is refused

9:20am Monday 23rd March 2009

By Liza-Jane Gillespie

PLANNING bosses have refused an application for a gypsy and traveller site in Winterbourne.

An application had been made for the stationing of one mobile home and one touring caravan on land at Giddyend, off High Lane.

However, having deferred the decision from a meeting in January so as to allow a site visit, members of South Gloucestershire Council’s development control committee refused the application at a meeting last week.

Planning officer Helen O’Connor said: "It would be departure from normal green belt policy. This application is inappropriate development in the green belt and the onus is on the applicant to demonstrate the special circumstances that would outweigh the harm on the green belt."

The application is believed to have been made because of overcrowding at a neighbouring gypsy site owned by the same family.

The planning committee was also told that despite a shortage of gypsy and traveller sites in South Gloucestershire this site was not put forward as part of the recent Gypsy and Traveller Development Plan Document.

The planning committee refused the application because of highways concerns, which included increased traffic along Swan Lane, the unsuitable junction from High Lane onto Swan Lane and the detrimental effect it would have on safety of pedestrians and horse riders.

The committee also said the application was an inappropriate development and harmful to the green belt and that the applicant had failed to demonstrate special circumstances.

Potential gypsy sites cut from 26 to 12

Published Date: 16 March 2009

Anxious members of the public turned out for a meeting on Thursday (March 13) to hear the results of a consultation on gypsy and travellers sites.

The crowd, of around 25 people, listened as the planning committee agreed with Dacorum Borough Council staff to shave 12 areas from the list.

The decision, if agreed by Cabinet, will leave only the following as possible sites: Grovehill West, PolADVERTISEMENTehanger Lane, Featherbed Lane, Fields End Lane and Long Chaulden in Hemel Hempstead, Swing Gate Lane and Sandpit Green in Berkhamsted, Dunsley Farm and Icknield Way in Tring, The Ridings in Markyate, plus Green Lane and the airfield in Bovingdon.

The committee also suggested that avoiding land within the green belt should be made a priority.

Councillor Alan Anderson: "This is a very difficult subject and one that Dacorum has not traditionally had to deal with.

"There are a number of issues to consider but can we request that green belt land is avoided as much as possible?"

But planning senior manager Richard Blackburn told the committee that building on green belt land was viable where there was a need to do so.

He added: "The way people have responded to this consultation suggests they would like to see the sites far away from settled areas.

"By not using any green belt land the sites would be even closer to settled parts of the borough."

More than 1,800 people put their concerns into writing when possible spots for gypsy and traveller sites were announced last year as part of
a wider consultation on housing.

The plans, which would bump pitches in Dacorum up from 36 to 59 by 2031, aim to meet government targets for more homes and traveller sites.

Most letters opposing the proposals cited the loss of green belt land, as well as social issues such as integration.

Around 150 responses were excluded from the report because they were deemed racist under The Race Relations Act 1976.

The issue will be discussed by Cabinet on March 31.

Bowd land IS gypsy home target

16 March 2009

LAND at the Bowd on "The gateway to Sidmouth" HAS been targeted to home travellers and gypsies- and its owner has "expressed a positive interest" in the prospect.

The Government has ordered East Devon District Council (EDDC) to find an additional nine pitches by 2011 and the Herald reported last month how land off the A3052 is one of four sites in the region that was earmarked to fulfil the quota.

EDDC planners discussed the matter in private this week and a spokesman said:

"Land owners of identified sites were contacted to seek their views on the potential use of their land. One land owner, in respect of land at the Bowd in Sidmouth, expressed a positive interest in making his site available for future use by gypsies and/or travellers."

Development control committee members agreed on Tuesday that the council "should" now embark a full public consultation exercise on this specific site.

Members also agreed to:

- invite the public, land owners and any other interested parties to suggest potential sites, and:

- continue discussions with land-owners of potential sites; and:

- hold further discussions with the County Gypsy Liaison Officer and gypsies and - travellers themselves on gypsy and traveller needs and sites; the joint think tank meeting again to consider any additional sites that might be suitable.

Plymouth warned not to rush Gypsy site plan

Sunday, March 01, 2009, 20:08

PLYMOUTH City Council should not rush into building permanent Gypsy and Traveller sites in Plymouth, MP Gary Streeter told a packed meeting in Plympton.

The council is obliged by the Government to provide pitches for an extra 55 caravans and is considering land at Coypool, on the edge of Plympton, as well as sites at Coombe Farm, St Budeaux, and Efford Warren.

Mr Streeter, the Conservative MP for South West Devon, told a crowd of hundreds at Hele's School on Friday night: "My approach will be to encourage the council to play it long, because it is likely that this policy will disappear after the next General Election. I hope the next Government will not insist on this because feelings are running high in Westminster."
The meeting was told that the land at Coypool was owned by the Adams family trust and Cundy Farms, and that there had been no negotiations over buying it.

Patrick Nicholson, one of the three Conservative councillors for Plympton St Mary who called the meeting, said compulsory purchase was possible but the council could "get bogged down for years" in any attempt.

David Rowland, a travelling showman with Rowlands Fun Fairs, said: "I believe that the three sites they have picked are not suitable at all."
He said a site needed to be close to education and public transport.

Lesley Jones, a Woodford Infants School teacher, wanted to know where the children of Travelling families who stayed at Coypool would be educated.

"We are full and we have a waiting list," she said.

Sandra George of Lynwood Avenue in Woodford, near the proposed Coypool site, said the land did not fit the Government's criteria because some of it was greenfield land, it was steeply sloping, and it was too close to homes to allow adequate screening. She said more of the site was woodland. "Are they going to chop that down?"

David James, a Conservative councillor for Plympton St Mary, said there had been no consideration of putting sites at Sherford new town and at the new developments in the north of the city. His fellow Plympton councillor Samantha Leaves said that by putting Gypsy sites on new developments, people buying houses there would know what they were getting.

Mr Nicholson called on all residents to participate in the consultation process the council is about to launch.

"We need to use the process to our advantage and maximise Plympton's voice," Mr Nicholson said.

"This is a consultation exercise. No decision has been taken."

Gypsy camps: the facts and fiction

Friday, February 27, 2009, 06:45

KEITH ROSSITER talks to council experts Pete Aley, Bronwyn Prosser and Dave Taylor along with Cabinet member Peter Brookshaw to get their perspective on Travellers and the city’s plan for Gypsy camps.

Why should we pay for a Gypsy and Traveller camp? These people do not pay taxes and expect us to pick up the tab for cleaning up after them.

Like everyone else, Gypsies and Travellers have to pay council tax, rent and other bills. They also pay income tax on earnings. This includes those who stop on authorised local authority transit sites.

Why do we need several camps? Couldn't you just put them all in the same place – preferably out of Plymouth?

There is a legal requirement for each area to provide a certain number of pitches. We can't offload ours on the South Hams, for example. Too many people on one site can lead to tensions on the site and with the neighbours.
Who are the groups who come here?

We don't get many New Age Travellers. They tend to find a spot, usually in the countryside, and stay there. Plymouth gets mostly Irish Travellers and Romany Gypsies. We also have showpeople, who have lived at Efford Fort for many years.

What is the difference between the different groups?

A range with distinct backgrounds, cultures and traditions are recognised under race relations legislation. They include Roma, Romany Gypsies, Irish Travellers, and travelling show people, including circus folk.

Some people say that the genuine Roma are all right; it's some of the other groups that cause problems.

They've all got their own cultures and traditions, but it's too simplistic to say one group is better than another. In any community there are those who cause problems.

Is there any evidence of rising crime connected with Gypsies and Travellers?

There is no evidence for this locally. This is backed up by national research by the Joseph Rowntree Study which looked into three new sites in Scotland where the police reported no noticeable increase in crime nearby.
Perception and fear of crime are totally different from the reality.

Is there any evidence about the impact on house prices of having a permanent site near by?

We do not have any evidence of this. The Joseph Rowntree Study found that evidence on this was inconclusive.

How much will it cost to build these sites?

About £80,000 to £100,000 a pitch. Plymouth needs to provide an extra 40 residential and 15 transit pitches.

That's a lot of money. What will you get for it?

People have an image in their minds from seeing the unauthorised encampments, and they transfer that to the proper sites. We believe the new sites will change people's views. They will be as modern as a modern holiday camp. There will be hardstandings for caravans and cars, and an amenity block. The block will have a kitchen and small eating area, toilets and bathroom. There may also be a storage area for working equipment. The permanent sites may also have a playground and a grazing area for animals, plus a site office.

What will the Gypsies and Travellers get out of it?

They will have adequate accommodation and be able to avoid setting up unauthorised encampments. We will also be able to give them access to other services such as health and education.

What size are the groups who come to Plymouth?

Most encampments are four to five caravans, and usually they have children with them.

How will the travelling people use our sites?

A family might have a permanent site as a base, then go travelling for a few months of the year. Those with small children will tend to stay put for longer.

The Government is forcing this on us and the Tories are refusing to fight it, or at least trying to hold out until the next General Election. Would it be possible to delay?

Delay will only store up problems and risks. This is not just about Government requirements – it's about long term-solutions. We have significant numbers of unauthorised encampments. We need to think about everyone – local residents, Gypsies and Travellers and those who put up with unauthorised encampments. Whatever political party is in control, the housing need will not go away and nor will the issue of unauthorised encampments. Delay also means we could lose the opportunity to bid for government funding – and have sites imposed on us.

What will happen if Plymouth defies the Government and refuses to build these camps?

The Secretary of State has the power to order us to do it. If we don't, the courts can make unauthorised encampments permanent. This happened last year in West Yorkshire.

Efford people say that the old Gypsy site there was abused and wrecked. Will it be different this time?

We are keen to involve local residents and Gypsies and Travellers in the design of the Efford site so we can minimise the risks. Experience from other areas show that well-managed sites are not problematic and different to the sort of unauthorised encampments that have caused so many problems in Plymouth. See www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/ findings/housing/H201.asp for more information.

I've heard that the Government is offering money right through to 2011 to build sites. Why are we rushing into it?

The money is announced year on year, with a separate pot each year. It is extremely likely that demand will grow and if we don't get a bid in now, we are likely to get less money.

The existing permanent site at The Ride has been in a shocking state, with uncontrolled dogs barking at passers-by. How will a new site be different?
The interior of the site and accommodation is well maintained and clean. This is not readily visible to passers-by. We recognise that there have been some issues about the area around the site. This is partly due to the design and the nearness to the old rubbish tip. Noise nuisance can be a problem for all communities and there are formal channels for reporting and dealing with it.

Some people say you haven't done enough consultation over using land at Efford Warren and that the site is contaminated.

The Efford plans have been in the public domain for more than a year. According to our survey the land is not contaminated. However, we'll do more investigation before we put in a bid.

Senior Plymouth Tory attacks 'war' on Gypsy camp

Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 20:18A

LEADING city Conservative has attacked Labour councillors for declaring "war" on plans to build a Gypsy camp.

As reported in The Herald on Tuesday, Andy Kerswell, Labour councillor for Efford and Lipson, vowed to fight after the council voted on Monday to go ahead with consultation over designs for a Gypsy and Traveller site off Military Road, Efford.

"It's war," Mr Kerswell told The Herald.

But a leading Conservative has now hit back at Labour's tough stance, questioning why Labour leader Tudor Evans was not at the emergency Gyspy meeting on Monday.

Cabinet member Dr David Salter said: "After Cllr Kerswell's outburst on the front page of The Herald, I'd ask: What sort of 'war' is it when the general doesn't even turn up for the fight?

Answer: one where Tudor Evans realises he is fighting his own Government."

The Government has ordered councils to provide permanent sites.

Mr Evans said later that he was out of the county, working for the Improvement and Development Agency.

"I couldn't change my plans because the meeting was called at such short notice," Mr Evans said.

Mr Kerswell threatened to take the fight to the courts after Labour councillors walked out of an emergency council meeting, claiming it had been called in violation of the council's own rules.

They later pledged their support in the battle to stop the council building Gypsy and Traveller camps at any of the three sites identified by the council.

Dr Salter said the Labour group was ignoring the independent legal advice of the city council's chief legal officer, David Shepperd, who ruled that the meeting was legal.

Meanwhile, the council has published a new timetable for people to have their say on plans for Gypsy Traveller sites. It has been drawn up after this week's controversial debate.

The council is revising the dates for public consultation on Efford.
Consultation on using land at Coombe Farm, Mowhay Road, St Budeaux, and at the Imerys works at Coypool will now take place from March 31 to May 12.

The original consultation period was due to start on February 23 but was delayed when the decision to consult the public, made by Plymouth City Council's Cabinet, was challenged by Labour councillors.

Members of the council's Overview and Scrutiny Commission voted earlier this month to allow the consultation to go ahead.

Cllr Peter Brookshaw, the Cabinet member for Safer and Stronger Communities, Housing and Supporting People and Community Cohesion, said: "This is a chance for everyone to have their say. We welcome all comments as long as they're not racist or abusive and we'd like to hear from anyone with ideas for suitable sites which we may not have considered so far."

The consultation will include displays, officers on hand to answer questions and feedback forms.

Coypool site consultation:
Thursday April 2, 9am to 1pm: Coypool Park and Ride.
Thursday April 2, 1.30pm to 6pm: Sainsbury's car park, Marsh Mills.
Monday April 20, 5pm to 8pm: Novotel, Marsh Mills.

St Budeaux site consultation:
Friday April 24, 10am to 4pm: Kitto Centre, Honicknowle Lane.
Tuesday April 28, 5pm to 8pm: Tamarside School.

There will be displays with comment forms at St Budeaux Library and at the temporary library in the former Jobcentre at the Ridgeway in Plympton throughout the six-week consultation.

Maps and information are available on the council's website: www.plymouth.gov.uk/gypsyandtravellerssitesldf.htm

Councillors vow: "We'll stop Gypsy sites"

Monday, February 23, 2009, 21:12

ANGER at plans to create a new permanent Gypsy camp in Plymouth boiled over last night as Labour councillors vowed: 'It's war'.

The city's Labour group called on residents to fight the council 'in the highest court in the land' over plans to build a Gypsy site at Efford Warren.
And they pledged to stand shoulder to shoulder with residents in Plympton and St Budeaux, where the council is also proposing to put permanent Gypsy and traveller camps.

Furious Labour councillors walked out of an emergency meeting yesterday, claiming that the way it had been called broke council rules.

Andy Kerswell, pictured right, Labour councillor for Efford and Lipson, told The Herald: "It's war. I would go to the extent of saying it's war.

"We are prepared to take this battle to the courts. We are in discussions with residents of Woodford and St Budeaux to have a joint legal approach. Woodford residents have already collected £3,500 towards their legal costs."

Addressing a small crowd of Efford protesters outside the Civic Centre after the meeting, Chris Pattison, Labour councillor for Ham, said: "We are absolutely going to stop the sites at Woodford [Plympton] and St Budeaux."
The city council called yesterday's emergency meeting after the Labour group challenged a decision to begin consultation over the design of the Efford site.

Conservative councillors said a decision was needed urgently because there was a Government deadline of the end of June to bid for funding.
After the Labour group walked out, Conservative councillors voted unanimously to go ahead with consultation.

Outside the Council House, Mr Pattison disputed the need for urgency. He said there were two more funding periods when the council could put in bids: next year and 2011.

"We didn't rush to find a site when we were in power because there was no deadline," he said.

"Anyway, it shouldn't always be about whether this council should get its money from somebody else."

Mr Pattison urged residents not to let it rest, and to "take the campaign forward".

He called for a meeting of all three areas that face having a Gypsy site to "get together and if necessary challenge it in the highest court in the land".
He said: "What is not going to work is foisting a site on any area where there is going to be antagonism from day one."

Mr Kerswell said he would present the results of a survey he carried out to the Government within the next ten days.

Vivien Pengelly, the council leader, said later: "I am relieved we can now press ahead with our plans to bid for more than £1.5 million of Government money to cover the cost of establishing a well run, official Gypsy and Traveller site.

"There is only one ring-fenced pot of money for the South West and if we don't get a share of it then it will go to other councils.

"The Government has the power to force sites on us. If we don't get our bid in, then local taxpayers could end up footing the bill."

Ted Fry, the deputy leader of the council, said: "There is an obligation on every local authority in the country to provide appropriate numbers of sites for Gypsies and Travellers.

"In Plymouth there has been a shortfall that has to be corrected."

Ian Bowyer, Cabinet member for Budget and Finance, said: "The Labour group's action would result in long-winded debates and needless bureaucracy at great expense to the city. Efford councillors had more than 12 months to wake up to these issues but it seems they were slumbering in their beds."

He said that cleaning up after unauthorised encampments cost the city about £160,000 a year.

Some Efford residents sitting in the public gallery during the meeting expressed their anger with the council's decision.

"We have to live with them and we don't want them," Pam Andrews shouted as councillors left the chamber. "They're not coming to Efford."
Around 50 members of 16 families of Showmen live at Efford Fort, next to the planned Gypsy site.

John Lock, a committee member and trustee of the Western section of the Showmen's Guild, said he had a meeting last Spring with council officers about the site.

"They told us about their plans for a Gypsy and Traveller site in Efford," Mr Lock said. He said that a previous Gypsy site in Efford, which closed in 1975, had caused "ill feelings and social unrest".

Paul Chuwen, a resident at Efford Fort and a member of the Showmen's Guild, said: "It came down to violent confrontation."

Mr Chuwen said it was "disgusting" that council officers visited the Gypsies at The Ride, Chelson Meadow, but did not visit members of the Showmen's Guild at Efford Fort.

"Instead of creating a number of small sites, why don't they just put all the Gypsies on one big site."

See Friday's edition of The Herald for Gypsy myth-buster special feature.

Gypsy and Traveller sites to double

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 By Clara Story

North west England will have to more than double the number of sites it provides for Gypsies and Travellers under a new draft policy for the region.


The forum for local authority leaders from the region, 4NW, has begun consulting on the plan, which would compel north west councils to find another 1,250 permanent and 270 temporary pitches by 2016, on top of the 950 sites that existed in 2007.

The new draft policy, part of 4NW’s partial review of regional strategy the North West Plan, is open for wide consultation until 18 March and the final version will be submitted to central government in July.

Michael Gallagher, 4NW’s director of planning, transport and housing, said there was ‘widespread support’ for a more strategic distribution of sites – placing them according to need rather than a simple formula for each council.

He added there was an ‘urgent need’ for more suitable accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers to provide better quality of life and access to services from legal pitches.

He said: ‘It is very important to address the issue. It is part of the homelessness agenda, and why should one section of the community not have somewhere to live?’

City chief defends his stance on gypsy debate

Thursday, February 12, 2009, 07:00

COUNCIL officers will not attend public meetings called to debate Gypsy and Traveller campsites because of the need to avoid "adversarial settings", councillors have been told.

In a letter sent on the eve of today's controversial council meeting about Gypsy and Traveller campsites, chief executive Barry Keel defends himself against allegations made last week that he is trying to stifle debate.

The council's Cabinet has approved work to prepare a bid for Government money for a Gypsy and Traveller site at Efford Warren after consultation last year on whether the site was suitable.

Cabinet members also agreed to start consultation on using land at Coypool and at Coombe Farm, St Budeaux for Gypsy sites.

Both decisions have been challenged and were to be scrutinised at a special meeting in the council chamber at 1.30pm today.

Keel wrote to councillors this week saying: "I wrote to all councillors on February 5 to advise them of the need to carry out consultation on ... proposals for the allocation of Gypsy and Traveller sites....

"There has been some concern expressed that my letter implies that we are stifling comment on this very important matter. This could not be further from the truth. The city council has set, and been recognised for, its very high standards around community engagement on planning matters. The consultation programme has been designed to avoid adversarial settings which mitigate against balanced communication of the issues....

"It is in this context, and in accordance with national advice and best practice, that I have advised that officers do not propose to attend public meetings or area committees as part of the consultation programme."
Plympton councillors and Gary Streeter, the Conservative MP for South West Devon, are planning to hold a public meeting later this month.

Mr Keel first wrote to councillors last week telling them that they could not call special area committee meetings to discuss Gypsy sites, and that council officers would not be sent to any meetings called to debate the subject.

Tory councillor Peter Brookshaw, the city's Cabinet member for Communities, Housing and Supporting People, said that in recent years about 20 unauthorised camps a year have cost Plymouth an average of £6,500 each to deal with.

He said Plymouth had a statutory duty to provide pitches for Gypsies and Travellers.

Labour group leader Tudor Evans said the council has used out-of-date maps when proposing to use land at Coypool for a camp. A housing estate built to the south of the proposed site within the past two years is not shown on the maps used by the council.

Meanwhile, Mr Keel's letter spells out a programme of consultation that will be followed if councillors do not give the process the thumbs down at today's meeting. This will include:

Staffed exhibitions close to the proposed sites at:
Coypool park and ride.
Sainsbury's Marsh Mills.
Tamarside School conference room.
Kitto Centre, Honicknowle.
Novotel, Marsh Mills.

An additional exhibition at Efford Library consulting on site design. There will be four members of staff at each of these events.

Local libraries will have copies of the consultation document and feedback forms which can also be picked up from the Civic Centre. Interested persons can also ask to speak to an officer if they come into the Civic Centre.

A specific event to discuss the sites will be held with the Gypsy and Traveller community.

Upgrade for Gypsy travellers site

BBC News

A site for Gypsies and other travellers visiting Stirling is to be upgraded with security doors and improved CCTV, Stirling Council has said.

About 19 chalets will be upgraded at the site in the western outskirts of the city at Bridgend.

Cladding will also be added to the chalets to improve heat and fuel efficiency.

The work will be done after the council received £93,000 from the Scottish Government.

The site, which also contains a meeting room, can accommodate up to 18 families at any one time.

Councillor Alasdair MacPherson said: "These site improvements will go some way towards improving the health, wellbeing and security of who choose to live in Stirling.

"Gypsy travellers remain marginalised and misunderstood, and prejudice against them is rife.

"As with most racism and bigotry, it can be reflected in official attitudes that continue to this day.

"The government grant will help us to address these issues and improve the services that we provide at Bridgend."

Lack of Gypsy sites fuels homelessness

Published by traceybignall for Race Equality Foundation in Housing , Local Government , Health
Thursday 5th February 2009 - 10:21am

A quarter of Britain’s estimated 300,000 Gypsies and Travellers have nowhere legal to park and are forced to live on unauthorised sites, or choose between camping by the roadside or moving into flats and houses. These unauthrised sites and roadside encampments often result in friction between local people and travelling communities. A newly published paper on Gypsy and Traveller accommodation notes that increasing resources are being diverted to policing and eviction, with two thirds of roadside travellers who’ve been surveyed saying they’ve been evicted at least thirty times in the past five years.

Ronny Flynn, Director of Health and Housing at the Race Equality Foundation says:

“Despite the fuss and alarmism from some quarters, we are only talking about homes for 5,000 families. This constitutes only one square mile of land.”

The paper says research has found that Gypsies and Travellers live in or pass through nine out of ten local authorities in England and Wales.

The report’s author, Dr Margaret Greenfields of Buckinghamshire New University, says:

“More legal sites would help break the cycle of tension between the settled and travelling communities and result in reduced enforcement costs as the number of unauthorised encampments decreases.”

The Gypsies, Travellers and Accommodation Better Housing briefing paper by Dr Margaret Greenfields, was launched at an event hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Traveller Law Reform in association with the Traveller Law Reform Project, and Irish Traveller Movement in Britain on Thursday 29 January 2009. The paper is produced by the Race Equality Foundation and is available by visiting the Foundation's website www.raceequalityfoundation.org.uk or by contacting Tracey Bignall on tracey@racefound.org.uk.

Tensions rise over Italy’s gypsy migrants

By Guy Dinmore and Gabriella Bianchi

Published: January 26 2009 20:29 Last updated: January 26 2009 20:29

A political storm has erupted around Italy’s gypsy community after a series of recent attacks prompted Silvio Berlusconi, the country’s prime minister, to suggest deploying 30,000 troops nationwide to combat crime blamed on gypsies and other immigrants.

Europe’s open borders have led to a flood of Romanian gypsies into Italy, straining municipal services and stirring political tensions. Some church groups estimate 50,000 Romanian gypsies have arrived in recent years, adding to thousands of Balkan gypsies who had fled the former Yugoslavia. Many live in squalid conditions condemned by human rights groups.

Mr Berlusconi suggested the extra deployment of troops in response to the highly publicised cases of two women reportedly gang raped near Rome. Police have not publicly identified their suspects as gypsies.

But Carabinieri police units have searched 47 settlements and other places for the suspected rapists and one “Romanian” was arrested, local media said.

Police also intervened after a neo-fascist group demonstrated in Guidonia near Rome – where the rapes took place – during which thugs attacked Romanian and Albanian immigrants.

The possible troop deployment follows the decision last summer by the prime minister’s tough-on-crime ruling coalition to order 3,000 troops to back up police last summer, mainly in the fight against organised crime and illegal immigration.

Ignazio La Russa, defence minister, said today that Mr Berlusconi’s proposal remained a “hypothesis”, to be discussed further in high-level talks on Thursday.

Gypsy activists are investigating allegations that units of the Folgore parachute brigade were involved in making arrests and breaking up illegal shacks used by gypsies on Rome’s Via Gordiani last week.

An army spokesman said a unit of Sardinian grenadiers had been involved in checking identities of some 70 gypsies in an illegal camp.

Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, made his second inspection tour of camps near Rome this month.

He was visibly shocked at meeting with a Romanian who called herself Marinella, living in a tent with her two children, in the midst of rats and a swamp caused by torrential rain.

“The situation is unacceptable,” he told the Financial Times. “Nothing has changed since my last report in July. In fact living conditions are even worse. So much talk and media attention but nothing happens. This is a display of inept policy.”

Meanwhile, an official poster campaign sponsored by Gianni Alemanno, mayor of Rome, is boasting of “6,216 expulsions in 2008” and taking credit for a “20 per cent fall in crime”.

Formerly a neo-fascist, Mr Alemanno campaigned on a promise to crack down on crime, illegal immigrants and gypsies, capitalising on emotions that were running high after the murder of a woman by a Romanian gypsy near a railway station.

Mario Mori, a retired general who is security adviser to the mayor, sought to distinguish actual policy from the heat of last April’s elections.

Mr Mori said the 6,216 expelled by the prefect of the interior ministry were mostly illegal immigrants from north Africa and only a few had been gypsies.

He noted there was no national legislation on “regulating” gypsies and that policy had been left to individual cities.

Mr Alemanno wants to erase unauthorised camps and build new “maxi-camps” for gypsies who have the “right” to stay in Italy by proving they are EU citizens. Those without papers are liable for expulsion.

Mr Hammarberg said today: “I am concerned about reported plans to use soldiers for evicting Roma (gypsies) from their settlements.

“If evictions are necessary at all they should be conducted humanely and only after a satisfactory alternative for housing is found and offered.”

Nazareno Guarnieri, head of an organisation that represents gypsies, said: “They say we like living in camps. They invented camps. None of us lived in camps before. We want homes.”

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009

Bollard to block gypsies to be built in Mayfield

Saturday, January 24, 2009, 08:00

A LOCKABLE bollard is to be placed along a stretch of road to discourage gypsies and travellers from setting up camp there.

The moveable obstruction is to be constructed halfway down the disused section of Tunbridge Wells Road in Mayfield, referred to locally as the disused spur.

The road became home to a family of travellers in November 2007, causing great concern among residents and resulting in a court ordered eviction.
This new measure, to be introduced in February, is a response to concerns from residents that such an event could happen again.

Peter Deller is a parish councillor who lives on the spur.

He said: "There have been a lot of discussions about how to prevent it happening again. I think the truth is that there is no perfect solution."
The bollards are to be built as part of an experimental order likely to last a year.

Kathryn Langley, a spokesman for the county council , said: "We've been asked to introduce these measures because of some problems we had in this section of Tunbridge Wells Road.

"Vehicles are banned, and this is being enforced by lockable bollards. Emergency services and landowners who need access are being given keys."
She confirmed that should the bollards be successful and meet with residents' approval they would be made permanent.

The travellers were eventually evicted from the disused spur in February 2008 and since then Cllr Deller has worked with East Sussex County Council to prevent a similar situation arising.

One of his major concerns is the lack of official sites available for travellers.
"The police's job in moving these people on is made considerably easier if they are in a position to say to the offender you should go to this specific place. In 2007 there was no place to send them to and that is still the case now," he said.

Cllr Deller praised the support of East Sussex's Mayfield representative Cllr Bob Tidy in getting the bollard but questioned the council's efforts to provide more gypsy accommodation.

In response, Cllr Tidy pointed to redevelopment taking place at a travellers' site in Maresfield and gave assurances East Sussex was continuing to search for suitable locations.

He said: "We have two sites that we can move travellers to. The finding of new sites is principally a district and borough council responsibility but we help and we have just received funding for five pitches on existing traveller sites in Hailsham and Maresfield."

Gypsies reprieved

Published Date: 22 January 2009

A GYPSY family has won a three-year reprieve to stay on land it owns in a Northumberland village, after a planning battle with local residents and council chiefs.

Alnwick District Council agreed on Tuesday to allow Kathleen and Terrance Lowther to remain temporarily on the site at Heatherleazes, on the outskirts of Warkworth.

The couple moved there in 2007, when their former site at Carlisle closed down.

But their problems were further compounded because their daughter Lisa Anne, who was 23 at the time, was undergoing intensive therapy for cancer at Newcastle, and they needed to be closer to her.

They initially sited three caravans on the land, which has been in Mrs Lowther's family, the Ornsbys, for more than 100 years and was formerly owned by her uncle who lived locally.

But the family faced furious objections from neighbours and plans to change formally the use of the site were refused in June 2007.

They were served a notice to quit in December, but both the planning decision and the notice to quit were overturned on appeal in August last year.

Speaking after this week's decision, Mrs Lowther — whose grandparents are buried in Warkworth — said: "It has been very hard, and we're relieved we can stay.

"We don't bother anyone, we just want to get on with our own lives in peace."

Mr Lowther, who is disabled, added: "You would think people would be more understanding in this day and age. Life is terrible when you even have just one or two people who don't like travellers."

Lisa Anne, whose cancer is now in remission, said: "All we're asking is for people to respect us and our way of life."

Under the conditions of the approval, the Lowthers are permitted two caravans on the site, which are to be moved away from houses, with parking for one van.

Warkworth's district and county councillor, Jeff Watson, said: "Local residents are as adamant as ever that this site should not have been allowed, but have accepted that it is only a temporary permission.

"They look forward to the end of the three-year permission and the site reverting back to open countryside."

Travellers Lose Eviction Court Case

12:46pm UK, Thursday January 22, 2009

Mark Stone, Sky News reporter

The Court of Appeal has ruled that 1,000 travellers living in Dale Farm in Essex can be moved on by Basildon Council.

Up to 50 families now face being forcibly removed from their homes from what is the largest traveller community in the UK, including more than 150 children.

Reacting to news of the court's decision, Dale Farm spokesman Grattan Puxon said: "We are not going to allow (our youngest) to be terrorised.

"We don't want bailiffs to come in, using force and heavy machinery around our children."

Mr Puxon described the petition as "somewhat confusing" and insisted the community would still fight for a "common sense solution".

He said the travellers would pitch at a site 50 yards south of the contested land, between Dale Farm and the A127, for the next 28 days.

From there, Mr Puxon said, they would make further legal applications.

In May 2005, Basildon Council voted to clear a large part of the settlement. It said that sections of the site had no planning permission.

The High Court rejected the decision, claiming that the council was not offering an acceptable alternative location for the travellers to live.

That was overturned by the latest ruling, meaning they will now be moved on.

"People really fear losing their homes," Joseph Jones, the secretary of the Gypsy Council of England told Sky News prior to the Court of Appeal announcement.

"They have no place to go and will end up on the side of the road." he said.

Travellers first settled at Dale Farm in the 1960s with the then Labour-run council granted planning permission for 40 families.

Since then, though, many more have settled. Most do not have planning permission to be on the land which forms part of the Green Belt.

"Everybody should be treated equally," local MP John Baron said.

The Dale Farm case has been registered with the United Nations Advisory Group on Forced Evictions. The eviction will now be observed by a team of monitors.

Gypsy camp protesters warn council: 'The battle starts here'

Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 17:33

A CROWD of about 130 angry residents besieged a city Cabinet meeting to protest about plans for a permanent Gypsy and traveller camp in the city.
The residents – mostly from the Woodford area of Plympton – warned the council: “the battle starts here”.

They are fiercely opposed to a proposal to use land at Coypool for a traveller site, and say it will bring down the value of their homes nearby.
The council has identified privately-owned land at Coypool, and at Coombe Farm in St Budeaux, as potential sites, and Cabinet members yesterday approved the start of public consultation.

The protesters were joined by Efford residents fighting to keep Gypsies off land at Efford Warren, which the council identified last year as suitable for a permanent camp.

The site is a former Gypsy and traveller camp, and yesterday Cabinet members gave the go-ahead to bid for Government money to bring it back into use.

Andy Kerswell, Labour councillor for Efford and Lipson, said the council had prevented any genuine scrutiny of the Military Road proposal.

Patrick Nicholson, Conservative councillor for Plympton St Mary, said: “We will be doing everything possible to thwart the council’s proposal.

“We are bitterly disappointed that the meeting failed to address any of the concerns we all have about the site. The battle starts here, today.”

Russell Gale, of Woodford Action Group, said: “I live next to the site and all my plans for the next five to ten years are gone because of what this will do to property values.”

Clair Skelley said: “We already suffer the noise from the Speedway track at Marsh Mills, road humps and the possibility of putting an incinerator at Coypool. How much more do we have to suffer?”

Gypsy and Traveller sites to be set up

The government has allocated more than a third of a £21 million fund for Gypsies and Travellers to creating new sites.

Over £7 million of the 2009/10 fund, which is aimed at preventing unauthorised encampments, will be spent on new sites. These will be set up in the south west, east of England, south east, and north west. London, and the midlands will only see modifications to existing sites.

Announcing the funding junior housing minister Iain Wright said: ‘The problem of unauthorised camping and the tensions it can cause will only be tackled through sufficient provision of well-managed, authorised sites, coupled with effective enforcement.

‘Site provision helps reduce the need for enforcement action…which costs around £18 million a year.’

Steve Staines, planning worker for Friends, Families and Travellers, said much of the previous rounds of funding went on site refurbishments rather than new sites.

‘The problem is this time [with] 36 per cent going to new sites, if they’re provided by local authorities at around £100,000 a pitch, this isn’t going to provide very much of the grand total of what’s needed, so we have a shortfall that the Homes and Communities Agency needs to look at,’ he said.

He added that more creative ways of using the money should be adopted, such as those put forward in Gypsy and Traveller development plans by Epping Forest. This includes suggestions made to the HCA on introducing self builds and shared ownership on sites.

Declan Carroll, chief executive of Cara Housing Association, is expecting to receive some of the funding. He said the development of new sites is slow as many local authorities have only just finished needs assessments, and there is often local opposition to sites.

Traveller site to get cash boost

A traveller site in Leicester will have more pitches and better living conditions after receiving nearly £36,000 of government funding.

Communities minister Iain Wright said the Meynells Gorse site would be refurbished.

Leicester City Council has been awarded the cash as part of the government's Gypsy and Travellers Sites Grant.

Those living on the new authorised pitches will pay rent, council tax and all other utility bills.

Mr Wright said: "The Gypsy and Traveller Sites grant is crucial to the delivery of both new and better sites to ensure that Gypsies and travellers have authorised, decent places to live.

"The problem of unauthorised camping and the tensions it can cause will only be tackled through sufficient provision of well-managed, authorised sites, coupled with effective enforcement action."

It is hoped that the funding will help reduce the costs of enforcing against unauthorised sites, which costs local authorities about £18m a year.

£2.5m funding for work at Gypsy site

Dec 22 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

A GOVERNMENT minister has announced almost £2.5m funding to improve a Gypsy site in County Durham.

East Howle site near Ferryhill will be extended and refurbished, Communities Minister Iain Wright announced yesterday. It was one of a number of successful bidders for funding from the Gypsy and Traveller Sites Grant in 2008/9 to provide new pitches to reduce unauthorised camping, and help improve conditions on existing authorised sites.

The funding will enable local authorities and registered social landlords to provide new authorised pitches for residents who will pay rent, council tax and other utility bills.

It is also designed to help reduce the costs of enforcing against unauthorised sites – it is estimated that this costs local authorities around £18m a year.

In the North East, £2.4m of Gypsy and Traveller Sites Grant has been allocated to East Howle. Mr Wright said: “The problem of unauthorised camping and the tensions it can cause will only be tackled through sufficient provision of well-managed, authorised sites, coupled with effective enforcement action.”

The funding announcement comes just over a year after a report commissioned by Durham County Council, landlords of East Howle, found that more permanent sites were needed in the county.

Additional temporary stop-overs for families ‘passing through’ the county should also be considered, it added, and Durham County Council’s six existing sites should be urgently refurbished.