The other side of the story - Silverdale, near Newcastle-under-Lyme

Dale Farm has dominated the headlines in recent months. But as Alex Turner finds, there are plenty of examples of landlords and Travellers working together successfully.

At the Cemetery Road Gypsy and Traveller site which has 19 plots at Silverdale, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, landlord Aspire Housing has carried out major improvement work after consultation with residents.
According to Chris Whitwell, director of national charity Friends, Families and Travellers, this sort of positive approach towards site provision can go a long way towards negating occasional friction between travelling and settled communities. ‘Experience up and down the country shows that good, well-managed Gypsy and Traveller sites will not cause problems within the local community,’ he says.
The work, funded by £200,000 from the Homes and Communities Agency and Aspire, included new kitchens and bathrooms, as well as upgrading heating and lighting. An onsite community room, which doubles as a classroom for some residents’ children, has also been updated and enlarged.