1 INTRODUCTION
1. Estimates of the size of the Gypsy and Traveller
population in the United Kingdom range between 90 000 and 120
000.[1] Provision of suitable
accommodation is critical to improving health and educational
attainment within the Gypsy and Traveller[2]
community and ensuring access to services. From 1968 to 1994 local
authorities had a legal requirement to provide places for Gypsies
and Travellers to site their caravans. In 1994 the requirement
was withdrawn. The current situation is that there are too few
sites where Gypsies and Travellers can legally camp. Many camp
where they can, sometimes on unsuitable sites such as playing
fields, supermarket car parks, or green belt land.
2. Stopping without permission in areas causes inconvenience
and anger within the settled community[3]
who do not understand why Gypsies and Travellers are not immediately
evicted. Local authorities and the police have extensive powers
to move unauthorised campers but to use these powers they must
first have identified a legal place to which to move the campers.
There are only 320 local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites in
England, providing 5000 pitches. Eight out of ten sites have waiting
lists for pitches, making it difficult for the police to fulfil
their duty.[4]
3. Under the Housing Act 1996, a person is homeless
if they have accommodation but "it consists of a moveable
structure, vehicle or vessel designed or adapted for human habitation
and there is no legal place where he is entitled or permitted
both to place it and to reside in it".[5]
The Traveller Law Reform Coalition estimates that there are 3500
Gypsy and Traveller caravans on unauthorised encampments, meaning
that in the eyes of the law 20% of the Gypsy and Traveller community
are homeless.
4. During this inquiry we have been told by local
politicians that it is difficult to provide Gypsy and Traveller
sites because the local electorate will not support provision
of sites. In a recent report Pat Niner suggests that the planning
system discriminates against Gypsies and Travellers with 80% of
applications refused, as opposed to 10% of applications from the
settled community. Until more sites are provided, local authorities
and the police will continue to find it difficult to balance the
needs of the travelling and settled communities.
5. This inquiry has revealed the difficulties of
addressing the needs of Gypsies and Travellers, who as a group
are not homogeneous or easy to define. A range of groups with
different histories, cultures and beliefs may be encompassed within
the description "Gypsies and Travellers" including:
- Gypsy-Travellers, encompassing
Irish Travellers, Scottish Gypsies/Travellers, English Gypsies,
Romanies and Welsh Gypsies
- New (Age) Travellers
- Some argue that occupational travellers, such
as showmen, waterway travellers and steel erectors should also
be included, although legislation relating to these groups tends
to differ from the first two groups.
This inquiry has focussed on the issues common to
all Gypsy and Traveller groups identified in the first section,
and makes no distinction between the differing groups within this
section unless specified. During the course of the inquiry the
Committee have become aware of many strains and divisions within
the Gypsy and Traveller community.
6. Our terms of reference, published on 28 April
2004, invited submissions relating to the first two groups:
"The Committee has resolved to carry out
an inquiry into the provision and management of Gypsy and Traveller
sites within England, with particular reference to the following
issues:
- Current provision and location of sites
- Demand for and use of sites
- Existing funding arrangements
- The Gypsy Site Refurbishment Grant scheme
- Site characteristics and the facilities provided
- Management of unauthorised camping
- ODPM statistical information on caravans, sites
and families."[6]
The Committee resolved not to deal with individual
cases as part of the inquiry.
7. We received 53 submissions of evidence, most of
which focussed on Gypsy-Travellers. The inquiry received little
evidence relating to the specific needs of New (Age) Travellers.
The Committee received a large number of very useful background
papers; and some correspondence relating to individual cases,
which were not considered as part of the inquiry. Members of the
Committee participated in a number of visits as part of the inquiry
including to Appleby Horsefair in Cumbria; Penny Hill and Star
Hill Gypsy and Traveller sites in Hampshire; Peak Copse, a site
in Dummer closed due to vandalism; a number of unauthorised encampments;
and several accommodation schemes in South Dublin County, Republic
of Ireland.[7]
8. The Committee held three evidence sessions on
the 22 and 29 June and 13 July 2004, and took oral
evidence from 27 witnesses including; Dr Donald Kenrick; Dr Rob
Home; the Traveller's Law Reform Coalition; the Gypsy Council
(Romani Kris); the Commission for Racial Equality; Pat Niner;
Cottenham Residents Association; the Traveller's Advice team at
the Community Law Partnership; the National Association of Gypsy
and Traveller Liaison Officers; the Association of Chief Police
Officers; the Local Government Association; the National Association
of Local Councils; Dawn Eastmead, Head of Housing Management Division,
ODPM; John Stambollouian, Head of Planning Directorate Division,
and the Rt. Hon Keith Hill MP, Minister of State for Housing and
Planning. We appreciate the time spent and efforts made by all
those who submitted evidence and acted as witnesses to the inquiry.
We are particularly grateful to those who arranged and hosted
our visits including George Summers, Gypsy and Traveller Service
Manager for Hampshire County Council and Secretary of the National
Association of Gypsy and Traveller Liaison Officers, and Mick
Fagan of South Dublin County Council in Ireland. And of course,
we are grateful to the Gypsies and Travellers who took time to
speak to us on our site visits in England and Ireland; in particular
Gordon Boswell, Paul Winters, Jimmy Coltman and Billy Brough who
met us at Appleby Horsefair. We also wish to thank our specialist
advisers, Frank Milne, David Smith and Vanessa Toulmin for their
advice and assistance.
9. Many studies have been conducted and reports written
which recommend ways to improve opportunities for Gypsies and
Travellers. Few appear to have had any effect. A recent report
from the Welsh Assembly Equality of Opportunity Committee recognises
this: "We are aware of the depressing familiarity of much
of what our report contains to anyone with an interest in their
policy area. The issues are well known and understood, as are
many of the solutions; the problem has always been delivering
those solutions".[8]
Pat Niner from the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the
University of Birmingham voices similar sentiments in the Centre's
report on "The Provision and Condition of Local Authority
Gypsy/Traveller Sites in England" published in 2002:
"Perhaps the most striking impression from
the spectrum of research and reports from almost forty years is
the similarity of the issues and concerns being discussed, and
the resistance of the problems being identified to 'solution'.
There are passages from the report on the 1965 census, from the
Cripps or Wibberley reports which apply equally well today. There
are particular continuities in terms of the basic demographic
factors, poor health, prejudice and discrimination on the part
of the settled community and very poor living conditions experienced
by Gypsies and other Travellers not living on authorised sites.
Resistance to site provision and objections from the settled community
to proposals for development are recurring themes. One particular
motif seen again and again is reference to the need to cater for
nomadism through the provision of transit or transient sites or
emergency stopping places."[9]
10. Concurrent with this inquiry, the Office of the
Deputy Prime Minister has been conducting a review of accommodation
for Gypsies and Travellers. This review was due to report to Ministers
in summer 2004, but the findings have not been made public at
the time of writing. We hope our recommendations will be of use
to Ministers as they consider the future direction of Gypsy and
Traveller accommodation policy.
11. We cannot emphasise enough the importance of
ensuring change is implemented on the ground. Our report should
not be viewed as another well intentioned document destined to
be shelved by the Government. Ministers make the right noises
- indeed the Prime Minister himself stressed the commitment of
the Government to tackling unauthorised encampments in Prime Minister's
Questions on 15 September 2004 - but what is needed is a courageous
Minister prepared to make a stand and to see words put into action.
12. We welcome the Government's review of accommodation
policy, although we want to emphasise the need for swift progress
in order to show both the Gypsy and Traveller community, and settled
community, that the Government is willing to make difficult decisions
and tackle these issues head on.
1 Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University
of Birmingham, The Provision and Condition of Local Authority
Gypsy/Traveller Sites in England, 2002 , pg 9 Back
2
In recognition of the distinct identities of these groups it is
conventional to capitalise the initial letters of these words.
We have done this apart from when quoting from text without capitalisation.
The submission from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister argues
that capitalisation should be used for an ethnic definition, but
not for planning definitions [Ev1]. Back
3
This term is conventionally used to describe the non-Gypsy and
Traveller community. Back
4
Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham,
The Provision and Condition of Local Authority Gypsy/Traveller
Sites in England, 2002 , pg 31 Back
5
Lord Avebury, Member of the House of Lords, Travellers and
the Homelessness Act, 8 September 203 Back
6
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local
Government and the Regions Committee, PN27, 28 April 2004 Back
7
In South Dublin County we visited Whitechurch Way, Kiltipper/Marlfield,
Daletree Road, Owendoher Haven, Kimmage Manor Way and Greenhills
Grove. Back
8
National Assembly for Wales Equality of Opportunity Committee,
Review of Service Provision for Gypsies and Travellers, May 2003,
p 2.4 Back
9
Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham,
The Provision and Condition of Local Authority Gypsy/Traveller
Sites in England, 2002 , pg 10 Back
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