Gypsies with nowhere to go must move within three years from Leatherhead site - Surrey

From the Epsom Guardian

Gypsies and Travellers who have nowhere else to go must vacate their greenbelt caravan site within three years, the Secretary of State has ruled.

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has upheld Mole Valley Council's decision to bar families from settling permanently in River Lane, Leatherhead, because it would ruin that part of the countryside.

But Mr Pickles criticised the council for failing to find another site for the five families, who have a total of 21 children, and have lived there for a decade and integrated into the community.

A government letter highlighted a 'substantial need' for Gypsy and Traveller sites and 'material failure of policy' because the council did not identify sites through the proper process.

Mr Pickles decided that permanent caravan sites there would harm the greenbelt, but it was felt likely that another permanent site could be found within three years.

His decision was based on planning inspector Antony Fussey's report after an inquiry into the council's refusal of planning permission for permanent caravan sites in December 2011.

Back in 2007 a planning inspector gave the families leave to stay for four more years. Council officers then examined 41 potential alternative sites but found none were suitable.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Dave Howarth, who represents Leatherhead North, said: "This is clearly a very disappointing verdict, for the residents of the site.

"The report highlighted major failures by the council over the past decade with regard to dealing with this site properly, and I agree that it's disgraceful that this issue remains unresolved.

"This uncertainty needs to end for the sake of all residents of River Lane."

Jenny Moore, who runs community shop Batitude in Leatherhead, said she would have loved the families to have got permanent permission.

Mrs Moore said: "I have got mixed feelings. It feels in a sense that we are back to where we were a few years ago but I'm grateful they are not going to be evicted today.

"Everybody needs to know it's settled. It's been a long, long time."

She said the community running the shop could not think of anything better than the families staying.

She said: "They are valued friends and a valued part of the community."

The children, including two with special needs, attend schools in Leatherhead and one boy, 7, with cystic fibrous and brain damage needs bi-monthly treatment at Epsom Hospital.

The families are inter-married Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers and there are no mixed ethnicity sites in Surrey.

The report noted: "I accept this is unusual and that they may not be accepted on some (but, in my experience, not all) public sites."

But the inspector described the point as 'academic' given the lack of vacancies on these sites.

see also: This Is Surrey - Eric Pickles rules Gypsy families in River Lane, Leatherhead must move in three years