No agreement over need for sites for Travellers - Isle of Wight

CLAIMS Gypsy and Traveller sites could be banned from the Island have been refuted by council officers.

Tory councillor Andy Sutton said the Localism Bill — which gives local councils more freedom to make decisions that affect their communities — would give the Isle of Wight Council power to remove such sites. The bill would also supersede regional strategies and targets, he said, thereby removing any requirement to provide them in the first place.

He said: "I do not think we should provide Travellers’ sites on a tourist island. I do not want them, I do not think they are necessary and I do not think we should have them on the Island. I’m also concerned the high cross-Solent charges would deter them from leaving."

But the council’s director of economy and environment, Stuart Love, said the bill did not simply absolve the authority of its responsibilities.

He told Cllr Sutton: "We cannot agree with your assertion the requirements for Gypsy and Traveller sites has been completely removed, or that we should revisit the core strategy in light of this. The draft national planning policy framework, which is currently being consulted on by the Department for Communities and Local Government, is very clear in terms of this issue and states it will be for local authorities to set local targets.

"The draft policy does not remove the requirement for councils to provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers, in fact it specifically states there remains a requirement to provide sites based on local evidence.
"We also have responsibilities to this group of residents under other legislation, including the Housing Act and Equalities and the Diversities Act."