Council reviews how to handle illegal Travellers camps in Plymouth - Devon

From the Plymouth Herald

THE Gypsy invasion of playing fields in Plymstock has sparked a full-scale review of how the city council handles illegal camps.

Plymouth Conservatives accused the ruling Labour group of taking too long to move a large group of Travellers from Horsham Fields in June.

The Travellers, with about 30 caravans, caused difficulties for local people including Plymstock Albion Oaks rugby club, which was forced to rearrange a charity match in aid of a paralysed former player.

Cllr Patrick Nicholson, deputy leader of the Conservative group on the council, told The Herald: “We are concerned that there seems to be a period of time when the council tries to use containment rather than enforcement.”

He said the city could become a target for Travellers if it took longer to move illegal encampments than in neighbouring authorities.

Now Cllr Nigel Churchill (Con, Plymstock Dunstone) has successfully called a scrutiny review of how well the council deals with illegal encampments.

Pete Aley, the council’s head of safer communities, will tell members of the scrutiny panel: “Whilst some local authorities use powers that we currently do not, there are cost benefit considerations to adopting them locally.”

He will say that the extra powers do not necessarily represent a more effective solution.

The current procedure involves direct negotiation with Gypsies and Travellers, seeking their co-operation to minimise the impact on local communities, and immediately starting legal action to force them to move on if necessary.

“Since 2006 we have only once had to resort to a forced eviction,” councillors will be told.

At Horsham Fields, council officers turned up the first working day after the Travellers arrived, and also delivered letters in the neighbourhood explaining how they were managing the situation.

“We served notice to quit the following day and filed papers to court five working days after their arrival,” Mr Aley says.

“In the 14 days it was present this unauthorised encampment attracted significant public complaint and media comment.

“However the duration was actually significantly shorter than the average of 19 days in 2013.”

Mr Aley says that making speed of eviction the overriding priority could displace Gypsies to other parts of the city and increase demand on resources.

He says the only power available which the council does not use is an interim possession order.

“We have updated our procedures so that we routinely consider whether this can be used in specific circumstances.”

LIFE ON THE ROAD

- GYPSY and Traveller children have the poorest educational attainment of any ethnic group in this country.

- Older Gypsies and Travellers are vulnerable due to a lack of continuity of health and care services.

- They are the ethnic group least likely to get home-based social care or residential care.

- Life expectancy is significantly lower than for the rest of the country. Infant mortality rates are three times higher.

- Nearly a quarter of the 2,650 Gypsy and Traveller caravans with no authorised permanent site are known to be in the South West region.