Row over secret list of Leeds Traveller camps

From the Yorkshire Evening Post

A row over a search for new Gypsy and Traveller camps in Leeds is growing with Conservative councillors threatening to publish a confidential list of sites under consideration.

The Government has handed the council £1m to develop up to 12 new pitches to help tackle the problem of unauthorised encampments.

Council officials are currently assessing a lengthy list of possible sites which Tory councillors say should be made available to the public.

Having obtained a copy of the list – marked private and confidential and understood to contain about 90 possible locations, the Tories say they are taking legal advice and, if allowed, will publish it.

During a stormy debate at a meeting of the full council, Coun Les Carter (Con, Adel and Wharfedale) said: “The people of Leeds have a right to know which sites are being considered.

“This search is taking place behind closed doors and without scrutiny.”

Coun Dan Cohen (Con, Alwoodley) said the original list of 300 potential locations had been whittled down to 90 which should be publicly available.

He said: “We should be committed to democracy, transparency and fairness but so far we have seen a process opposite of this.”

The ruling Labour administration say it is clear many of the sites will be dropped from the list and have pledged to publish the finding of the officers’ review once their work is complete.

Coun Peter Gruen (Lab, Cross Gates and Whinmoor), executive councillor for neighbourhoods and housing, said there was no secrecy surrounding the process. Three published reports about the issue had gone to the executive board and the criteria being used to govern the search was also available.

The council voted 56-23 in favour of a resolution put forward by Coun Gruen that said: “Council encourages officers to complete their search for potential Traveller sites as swiftly and as thoroughly as possible.

“Council endorses the commitment to publicise the findings of this review once complete along with the commitment to undertake comprehensive consultation before any planning application for a new site is submitted.”

It supported the approach of providing more official pitches coupled with strong enforcement against unauthorised sites.