Memorandum by East Northamptonshire Council
(GTS 08)
I write in response to the email we received
seeking submissions to the committee that is carrying out an inquiry
into the provision and management of gypsy and traveller sites
within England.
The main part of my submission being a discussion
paper that has been considered by this Council's Strategic Management
Team and leading politicians. I feel it might provide an insite
into the issues relating to gypsies and travellers and how they
impact on a small semi-rural local authority. This paper demonstrates
that we are aware of the need to address travellers issues and
by way of summarising the paper I have extracted those points
which relate to the issues identified in the inquiry brief.
CURRENT PROVISION
AND LOCATION
OF SITES
We have found as a Council that sites which
are provided by and managed by gypsies themselves appear to provide
the best solution to this issue. We have three such sites and
these are managed by the gypsy committee, whilst regulated by
regular caravan sites provisions. All the sites are well run and
all are looking to expand their sites through the permitted development
process. The success of these sites appears to have an impact
on the amount of transit encampment activity we experience, furthermore
we as a District Council would not appear to experience the problems
of neighbouring authorities who either have sites which are not
used or sites that are unmanageable.
This does not however address a problem we do
experience in respect of "New Age Travellers". Being
semi-rural we have areas which are attractive to this element
of the travelling community. Their needs are different and we
are in discussions with potential partners, such as the Forestry
Commission, to explore innovative ways of providing sites for
this community eg through eco-villages or low impact developments.
DEMAND FOR
AND USE
OF SITES
In respect of gypsies the demand is being managed
by the community itself in terms of the sites they provide and
plans to expand them.
New Age Travellers, as demonstrated by the level
of activity in East Northamptonshire over recent years enjoy the
locality and I would suggest there may be a need that requires
addressing. However a "one size fits all" solution cannot
be adopted, as the type and location of sites for one element
of the travelling community may not be attractive to another.
SITE CHARACTERISTICS
AND THE
FACILITIES PROVIDED
Continuing the theme from the previous point.
We recognise that the New Age Travelling Community do not desire
a concreted over, fully facilitated site on the edge of an industrial
estate or edge of town. Their aspirations would appear different
and I therefore think the challenge is to find solutions which
can benefit both static and transit communities. Hence our discussions
with the Forestry Commission and other potential partners with
a view to developing a rural solution. However a lesson that can
be learnt from our gypsy managed sites is the apparent advantages
that can be gained with the community managing itself.
MANAGEMENT OF
UNAUTHORISED CAMPING
The main difficulties I have experienced as
a Head of Service delivering a District Council's response to
unauthorised camping is attempting to satisfy a broad range of
agendas and contradicting positions. We must be realistic, therefore
we must acknowledge that travellers exist and will continue to
exist and by their nature they move about. Realistically the majority
of our resident communities have one expectation, travellers will
not be tolerated and furthermore they should not be provided with
sites that are anywhere near them. However, if you were to visit
the communities which neighbour our existing gypsy run sites then
I would be confident that their perception and tolerance of gypsies
is much more positive than elsewhere. A co-existence rather than
imposition. These communities have grown together, children have
grown up together and attended the same schools.
These views are put forward without robust statistical
support, they are based on the experience we have gained as a
District Council which has accommodated all types of travellers
and through authorised and unauthorised encampments.
We hope our views may be of some assistance
to the committee.
M J Deacon
Head of Environmental Health
Community Services Directorate
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