From Bedfordshire On Sunday
WORK on a Gypsy site, that was once scrapped over noise issues, has been delayed due to drainage issues.
The land off Meadow Lane in Bedford was given the go-ahead by Bedford Borough Council last March but work for it to become a permanent Traveller pitch is yet to get underway.
The hold-up comes after the Environment Agency (EA) carried out a review of the site and deemed there may be risk to water and the environment.
Bedford Borough Council has gone back to review the site.
Mayor of the borough Dave Hodgson spoke of his frustration of the delays.
He said: “Meadow Lane remains our prefered site.
“I am frustrated by the delays but our officers are working with the Environment Agency to solve the matter.”
A Broiugh Hall spokesman added: “Design work for Meadow Lane is ongoing to resolve complex drainage issues on the site. In addition, work is taking place to deal with contamination from oil which originates from the land being used as a construction depot.
“The council is working with the Environment Agency to ensure outstanding issues are resolved.”
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Friday, 1 February 2013
Ringland group to share concerns over Gypsy sites - Newport
From the South Wales Argus
A GROUP worried over two proposed Gypsy sites in Newport are to take their concerns to a public meeting next week.
The Ringland Matters group has been formed to gather objections to two proposed Gypsy sites recommended by a group of Newport city councillors.
The policy review group recommended last year that the Road Safety Centre and nearby land on Hartridge Farm Road is Newport’s preferred residential Gypsy and Traveller site.
The former Ringland allotments site was suggested as a second preferred choice.
However there are worries over transport infrastructure and the fact that the site is still in use.
Frank Weston, 63, of Hartridge, said the road access is inadequate for the Road Safety Centre to be used as a residential site.
Mr Weston also claimed that reasons for rejection for sites in the original shortlist, such as Yew Tree Cottage in Bettws, could be applied to the Hartridge and Ringland sites.
He added: “I cannot see a site in the road safety centre as appropriate when its right next door to a RSPCA animal shelter.”
Ringland Labour councillor Emma Corten said the proposals are “of great concern” to many residents in the Ringland ward.
“Many residents have approached me to ask how they can have their voices heard regarding the proposals,” she said.
“Tuesday’s meeting will advise people how they can register their opinion constructively and how to make their opinions count.”
Gypsy sites must be included in the local development plan (LDP) which is likely to go out to consultation later this year. A final decision on whether to amend or replace the five sites identified in the LDP will be made by councillors in March.
The meeting takes place on Tuesday at Ringland Community Centre at 7pm.
A Newport council spokeswoman said the same assessment criteria was used for every site.
She said all 11 short-listed sites that went out to public consultation are currently being appraised for their suitability.
A GROUP worried over two proposed Gypsy sites in Newport are to take their concerns to a public meeting next week.
The Ringland Matters group has been formed to gather objections to two proposed Gypsy sites recommended by a group of Newport city councillors.
The policy review group recommended last year that the Road Safety Centre and nearby land on Hartridge Farm Road is Newport’s preferred residential Gypsy and Traveller site.
The former Ringland allotments site was suggested as a second preferred choice.
However there are worries over transport infrastructure and the fact that the site is still in use.
Frank Weston, 63, of Hartridge, said the road access is inadequate for the Road Safety Centre to be used as a residential site.
Mr Weston also claimed that reasons for rejection for sites in the original shortlist, such as Yew Tree Cottage in Bettws, could be applied to the Hartridge and Ringland sites.
He added: “I cannot see a site in the road safety centre as appropriate when its right next door to a RSPCA animal shelter.”
Ringland Labour councillor Emma Corten said the proposals are “of great concern” to many residents in the Ringland ward.
“Many residents have approached me to ask how they can have their voices heard regarding the proposals,” she said.
“Tuesday’s meeting will advise people how they can register their opinion constructively and how to make their opinions count.”
Gypsy sites must be included in the local development plan (LDP) which is likely to go out to consultation later this year. A final decision on whether to amend or replace the five sites identified in the LDP will be made by councillors in March.
The meeting takes place on Tuesday at Ringland Community Centre at 7pm.
A Newport council spokeswoman said the same assessment criteria was used for every site.
She said all 11 short-listed sites that went out to public consultation are currently being appraised for their suitability.
Watchfield Gypsy and traveller site is approved - Oxfordshire
From the BBC
Plans to build a permanent Gypsy and Traveller site in Oxfordshire have been approved.
The proposals for 16 pitches next to the A420 in Watchfield were approved by Vale of White Horse District Council at a meeting on Thursday.
Watchfield Parish Council and some residents had opposed the plans, which were previously rejected in August 2011.
The Gypsy Council has welcomed the announcement.
Joseph Jones, from the Gypsy Council, said: "It's always good when a new site gets passed.
"It's well documented that there are not enough sites in the UK and a lot of councils rely on windfall approvals such as this to meet allocations of so-far unmet needs."
The district council said it received 47 letters of objection to the plans from local residents and organisations.
Concerns raised included insufficient capacity for additional children at Watchfield Primary School and that the site was too close to the village's wind turbines.
Ruth Holman, deputy chair of the parish council, said the main concern was road safety due to "insufficient pedestrian crossing provision" across the A420 which separates the site from the village.
"It may also lead to further development and we are opposed to any sort of development in the village," she added.
Under the terms of the Housing Act 2004, local authorities must assess the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers and identify where new pitches should be located.
Plans to build a permanent Gypsy and Traveller site in Oxfordshire have been approved.
The proposals for 16 pitches next to the A420 in Watchfield were approved by Vale of White Horse District Council at a meeting on Thursday.
Watchfield Parish Council and some residents had opposed the plans, which were previously rejected in August 2011.
The Gypsy Council has welcomed the announcement.
Joseph Jones, from the Gypsy Council, said: "It's always good when a new site gets passed.
"It's well documented that there are not enough sites in the UK and a lot of councils rely on windfall approvals such as this to meet allocations of so-far unmet needs."
The district council said it received 47 letters of objection to the plans from local residents and organisations.
Concerns raised included insufficient capacity for additional children at Watchfield Primary School and that the site was too close to the village's wind turbines.
Ruth Holman, deputy chair of the parish council, said the main concern was road safety due to "insufficient pedestrian crossing provision" across the A420 which separates the site from the village.
"It may also lead to further development and we are opposed to any sort of development in the village," she added.
Under the terms of the Housing Act 2004, local authorities must assess the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers and identify where new pitches should be located.
Gypsies And Travellers, Have Your Say!
From the Travellers' Times
By Chris Johnson and Marc Willers - 30th January 2013
There are a number of consultations in process at present which may have a serious effect on the lives of Gypsies and Travellers. It is very important that people put in responses to these consultations because, in previous consultations carried out over the past couple of years, significant changes have been made as a result of responses to consultations.
The three consultations that Gypsies and Travellers and interested parties need to respond to are:
Changes to Temporary Stop Notices consultation
Changes to the Education Act that could affect Gypsy and Traveller Children
Application of the Mobile Homes Act to Welsh local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites
It is very important that Gypsies and Travellers and their supporters take this opportunity to get involved in making representations about proposed changes to laws and policies that are crucial to them and we encourage all those who are affected by these policies or who support Gypsies and Travellers to get involved
Temporary stop notices (TSNs)
A local authority can issue a TSN if they think there has been a breach of planning control and that the activity should be stopped immediately. Currently, in most cases, TSNs cannot be used to prohibit the stationing of caravans used as main residences.
The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) are proposing to change the guidance with regard to the use of TSNs. The consultation paper can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-temporary-stop-notices-consultation
The deadline for responses is February 13th.
DCLG propose to extend TSNs to prohibit the stationing of caravans used as main residences where the Gypsies or Travellers concerned do not yet have planning permission.
All Gypsy and Traveller support groups are opposed to this proposal since it will simply push even more Gypsies and Travellers on to roadside encampments at a time when there remains a completely inadequate supply of authorised sites (both permanent and transit), a fact which is accepted by Government.
DCLG have organised oral hearings as part of this consultation process to enable Gypsies and Travellers to voice their opinions on these proposals and those are currently scheduled as follows:
Tuesday 12 February (10.30am - 12.30pm): Department of Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5DU
Wednesday 13 February (10.30am - 12.30pm): Department of Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5DU
For more details and to put your name down for one of these meetings, you should contact:
Owen Neal Planning - Economy and Society Department for Communities and Local Government Tel: 030 3444 4412 Ext: 44412
Email: Owen.Neal@communities.gsi.gov.uk
Owen.Neal@communities.gsi.gov.uk
Education Act 1996
Under section 444(1) of the Education Act (EA) 1996, a parent commits an offence if they fail to ensure their child’s regular attendance at a school where the child is registered.
However, currently, section 444(6) provides a defence where the child is of no fixed abode and:
parents are engaged in a trade or business of such a nature as to require them to travel from place to place; and
the child has attended at a school as a registered pupil as regularly as the nature of that trade or business permits; and
if the child has attained the age of six, that he or she has made at least 200 attendances during the period of 12 months ending with the date on which the proceedings were instituted.
Parents who dual register their child at another school whilst travelling will not be affected as their child will not be recorded as absent from school.
The Department for Education (DfE) paper proposes the repeal of the above defence in order, so they say, “to improve the educational outcomes for Gypsy and Traveller children.”
Most if not all Gypsy and Traveller support groups oppose the repeal of section 444(6). For example, the Advisory Council for the Education of Romany and other Travellers (ACERT) call for the support of the education of nomadic children through distance learning and/or dual registration. They also call for flexibility in admissions systems.
The consultation paper can be downloaded in PDF format from this link on the Department for Education website.
The deadline for responses is February 22nd.
Most unfortunately this consultation process does not involve oral hearings. We believe this failure may be challengeable.
Mobile Homes Act (MHA) 1983
The Welsh Government have issued a consultation paper on the application of the MHA 1983 to Welsh local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites (the MHA 1983 has applied to English local authority sites since April 2011). The proposed changes will provide residents on Welsh local authority sites with important new rights and obligations. Most importantly it will give those living on such sites security of tenure for the first time. The European Court of Human Rights recently decided that the lack of security of tenure on Welsh sites amounted to a breach of Article 8 (the right to respect for private and family life and home) of the European Convention on Human Rights. See this article on Travellers' Times website.
The consultation paper can be found on the Welsh Government website
There is a very generous deadline for responses of March 29th.
The Welsh Government are to be commended for holding meetings on all local authority sites as well as the following stakeholder events:
Monday 18 February – Welsh Government office, Penllergaer, Swansea 10am – 1pm
Tuesday 26 February – Catrin Finch Centre, Glyndwr University, Wrexham 10:30am – 1:30pm
Monday 11 March - Welsh Government office, Rhydycar, Merthyr Tydfil 10am – 1pm
For more information and to put your name down for one of these meetings, please contact:
John Davies
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Division
Welsh Government
Rhydycar
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 1UZ
Tel: 0300 062 8184
Email:John Davies
john.davies35@Wales.GSI.Gov.UK
Chris Johnson, Travellers Advice Team (TAT) at Community Law Partnership (CLP) and Marc Willers, Garden Court Chambers.
TAT has an advice line for Gypsies and Travellers on 0121 685 8677, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
www.communitylawpartnership.co.uk
Garden Court Chambers has a specialist team dealing with issues for Romani Gypsies, Irish Travellers and other Travellers.
www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk
By Chris Johnson and Marc Willers - 30th January 2013
There are a number of consultations in process at present which may have a serious effect on the lives of Gypsies and Travellers. It is very important that people put in responses to these consultations because, in previous consultations carried out over the past couple of years, significant changes have been made as a result of responses to consultations.
The three consultations that Gypsies and Travellers and interested parties need to respond to are:
Changes to Temporary Stop Notices consultation
Changes to the Education Act that could affect Gypsy and Traveller Children
Application of the Mobile Homes Act to Welsh local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites
It is very important that Gypsies and Travellers and their supporters take this opportunity to get involved in making representations about proposed changes to laws and policies that are crucial to them and we encourage all those who are affected by these policies or who support Gypsies and Travellers to get involved
Temporary stop notices (TSNs)
A local authority can issue a TSN if they think there has been a breach of planning control and that the activity should be stopped immediately. Currently, in most cases, TSNs cannot be used to prohibit the stationing of caravans used as main residences.
The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) are proposing to change the guidance with regard to the use of TSNs. The consultation paper can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-temporary-stop-notices-consultation
The deadline for responses is February 13th.
DCLG propose to extend TSNs to prohibit the stationing of caravans used as main residences where the Gypsies or Travellers concerned do not yet have planning permission.
All Gypsy and Traveller support groups are opposed to this proposal since it will simply push even more Gypsies and Travellers on to roadside encampments at a time when there remains a completely inadequate supply of authorised sites (both permanent and transit), a fact which is accepted by Government.
DCLG have organised oral hearings as part of this consultation process to enable Gypsies and Travellers to voice their opinions on these proposals and those are currently scheduled as follows:
Tuesday 12 February (10.30am - 12.30pm): Department of Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5DU
Wednesday 13 February (10.30am - 12.30pm): Department of Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5DU
For more details and to put your name down for one of these meetings, you should contact:
Owen Neal Planning - Economy and Society Department for Communities and Local Government Tel: 030 3444 4412 Ext: 44412
Email: Owen.Neal@communities.gsi.gov.uk
Owen.Neal@communities.gsi.gov.uk
Education Act 1996
Under section 444(1) of the Education Act (EA) 1996, a parent commits an offence if they fail to ensure their child’s regular attendance at a school where the child is registered.
However, currently, section 444(6) provides a defence where the child is of no fixed abode and:
parents are engaged in a trade or business of such a nature as to require them to travel from place to place; and
the child has attended at a school as a registered pupil as regularly as the nature of that trade or business permits; and
if the child has attained the age of six, that he or she has made at least 200 attendances during the period of 12 months ending with the date on which the proceedings were instituted.
Parents who dual register their child at another school whilst travelling will not be affected as their child will not be recorded as absent from school.
The Department for Education (DfE) paper proposes the repeal of the above defence in order, so they say, “to improve the educational outcomes for Gypsy and Traveller children.”
Most if not all Gypsy and Traveller support groups oppose the repeal of section 444(6). For example, the Advisory Council for the Education of Romany and other Travellers (ACERT) call for the support of the education of nomadic children through distance learning and/or dual registration. They also call for flexibility in admissions systems.
The consultation paper can be downloaded in PDF format from this link on the Department for Education website.
The deadline for responses is February 22nd.
Most unfortunately this consultation process does not involve oral hearings. We believe this failure may be challengeable.
Mobile Homes Act (MHA) 1983
The Welsh Government have issued a consultation paper on the application of the MHA 1983 to Welsh local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites (the MHA 1983 has applied to English local authority sites since April 2011). The proposed changes will provide residents on Welsh local authority sites with important new rights and obligations. Most importantly it will give those living on such sites security of tenure for the first time. The European Court of Human Rights recently decided that the lack of security of tenure on Welsh sites amounted to a breach of Article 8 (the right to respect for private and family life and home) of the European Convention on Human Rights. See this article on Travellers' Times website.
The consultation paper can be found on the Welsh Government website
There is a very generous deadline for responses of March 29th.
The Welsh Government are to be commended for holding meetings on all local authority sites as well as the following stakeholder events:
Monday 18 February – Welsh Government office, Penllergaer, Swansea 10am – 1pm
Tuesday 26 February – Catrin Finch Centre, Glyndwr University, Wrexham 10:30am – 1:30pm
Monday 11 March - Welsh Government office, Rhydycar, Merthyr Tydfil 10am – 1pm
For more information and to put your name down for one of these meetings, please contact:
John Davies
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Division
Welsh Government
Rhydycar
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 1UZ
Tel: 0300 062 8184
Email:John Davies
john.davies35@Wales.GSI.Gov.UK
Chris Johnson, Travellers Advice Team (TAT) at Community Law Partnership (CLP) and Marc Willers, Garden Court Chambers.
TAT has an advice line for Gypsies and Travellers on 0121 685 8677, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
www.communitylawpartnership.co.uk
Garden Court Chambers has a specialist team dealing with issues for Romani Gypsies, Irish Travellers and other Travellers.
www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk
Public say no to Gypsy site - Bedfordshire
From Bedford Today
Hundreds of angry people turned out to a public meeting this week to object against proposals to build Gypsy and Traveller pitches in a village.
Around 400 people attended the public meeting at Maulden Village Hall on Monday night to discuss the proposal that has been included in a list of 35 possible sites in Central Beds Council’s Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan.
The council has put forward the 60-acre area on New Road as a potential site for up to ten pitches
Maulden Parish Council chairman Eileen Brown said: “The meeting was absolutely packed, we had to turn some people away. It shows the strength of feeling in the village against this site.”
The packed-out public meeting on Monday saw the three Central Beds Councillors Michael Blair, Paul Duckett and Mark Smith outline their plans as to how they intend object to the proposal at a sustainable communities overview and scrutiny committee meeting on February 28 where all 35 sites will be discussed.
A working sub-group called Maulden Against Development (MAD) was also set up and members will be raising awareness of the issue in the village and distributing leaflets about the proposal.
Group member Hannah Pryce said: “Whilst Maulden may only be a small village, its community is larger than life. We will work together to ensure this proposal does not become a reality.”
Concerns about the proposed site that were discussed at the meeting included lack of infrastructure and local amenities, and the impact on wildlife in the area that has been suggested for development.
Parish council chairman Eileen Brown said: “We are quite upset that they have proposed a site in the village and we are very concerned about it.
“We were delighted with the turnout in the village hall. I think most people went away saying they thought it was a good meeting.”
She added: “We have already lost two pubs and post office, we have no sewerage or gas down that end of the village. Maulden just cannot support it. Another big thing is the wildlife on that site.
“The Wildlife Trust has written to us saying that it would really affect the habitats there at the moment and there is a rare plant there called the Bob Pimpernel, which is the only one in Bedfordshire.”
The group is now urging local residents from Maulden and surrounding villages to write to the council with their grounds of objection.
Other sites in the plan include Westoning, Silsoe, Haynes, and Flitton.
Hundreds of angry people turned out to a public meeting this week to object against proposals to build Gypsy and Traveller pitches in a village.
Around 400 people attended the public meeting at Maulden Village Hall on Monday night to discuss the proposal that has been included in a list of 35 possible sites in Central Beds Council’s Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan.
The council has put forward the 60-acre area on New Road as a potential site for up to ten pitches
Maulden Parish Council chairman Eileen Brown said: “The meeting was absolutely packed, we had to turn some people away. It shows the strength of feeling in the village against this site.”
The packed-out public meeting on Monday saw the three Central Beds Councillors Michael Blair, Paul Duckett and Mark Smith outline their plans as to how they intend object to the proposal at a sustainable communities overview and scrutiny committee meeting on February 28 where all 35 sites will be discussed.
A working sub-group called Maulden Against Development (MAD) was also set up and members will be raising awareness of the issue in the village and distributing leaflets about the proposal.
Group member Hannah Pryce said: “Whilst Maulden may only be a small village, its community is larger than life. We will work together to ensure this proposal does not become a reality.”
Concerns about the proposed site that were discussed at the meeting included lack of infrastructure and local amenities, and the impact on wildlife in the area that has been suggested for development.
Parish council chairman Eileen Brown said: “We are quite upset that they have proposed a site in the village and we are very concerned about it.
“We were delighted with the turnout in the village hall. I think most people went away saying they thought it was a good meeting.”
She added: “We have already lost two pubs and post office, we have no sewerage or gas down that end of the village. Maulden just cannot support it. Another big thing is the wildlife on that site.
“The Wildlife Trust has written to us saying that it would really affect the habitats there at the moment and there is a rare plant there called the Bob Pimpernel, which is the only one in Bedfordshire.”
The group is now urging local residents from Maulden and surrounding villages to write to the council with their grounds of objection.
Other sites in the plan include Westoning, Silsoe, Haynes, and Flitton.
Battle over Gypsy site at beauty spot set to continue - Yorkshire
The Northern Echo
AN enforcement officer angered by the way Travellers are treated has vowed to fight on after councillors rejected his controversial plan to rent or sell a beauty spot to a homeless Gypsy family.
Grandfather David Lovell said he would appeal against Hambleton District Council’s decision to refuse to his proposal to change the use of his one-acre smallholding in Bullamoor, near Northallerton, to a residential site.
He said he is more determined than ever to provide a high quality site for a single Gypsy family, an ambition that was triggered by his anger towards mass evictions from Dale Farm Travellers' site, in Essex, in October 2011.
Dozens of residents cheered after councillors voted 11-2 against the proposal, which has attracted fierce criticism, including from Allertonshire Civic Society, Osmotherley Parish and Northallerton Town councils.
Following a heated planning committee debate, which included an appeal from a residents’ action group for the application to be thrown out, councillors said allowing the plan would harm the attractiveness of neighbouring properties.
Officers had recommended the scheme be approved, saying it was sustainable and “represents one of the few current opportunities to help meet the current need in Hambleton for private pitches” for Gypsies.
However, members said the site would not meet the needs of the travelling community as research had revealed Gypsies preferred to live on council-run sites.
Northallerton councilor John Coulson said: “Too many times we do not listen to residents. This is a very important site and it has been well looked after over the years.”
After the meeting, Mr Lovell said he had been subjected to a campaign of bigotry and abuse since applying for planning permission and had been dismayed by the “aggressive and small-minded attitudes” displayed by some members of the authority’s planning committee.
He said he has reported incidents to the police after having eggs thrown at his car, gates vandalised and set on fire and, on the day after councillors visited his site, had two letter boxes destroyed.
He said he was optimistic that he would achieve a different outcome when a Government planning inspector viewed the case on its planning merits, so he would be able to offer the site to a homeless Gypsy family from Yorkshire.
AN enforcement officer angered by the way Travellers are treated has vowed to fight on after councillors rejected his controversial plan to rent or sell a beauty spot to a homeless Gypsy family.
Grandfather David Lovell said he would appeal against Hambleton District Council’s decision to refuse to his proposal to change the use of his one-acre smallholding in Bullamoor, near Northallerton, to a residential site.
He said he is more determined than ever to provide a high quality site for a single Gypsy family, an ambition that was triggered by his anger towards mass evictions from Dale Farm Travellers' site, in Essex, in October 2011.
Dozens of residents cheered after councillors voted 11-2 against the proposal, which has attracted fierce criticism, including from Allertonshire Civic Society, Osmotherley Parish and Northallerton Town councils.
Following a heated planning committee debate, which included an appeal from a residents’ action group for the application to be thrown out, councillors said allowing the plan would harm the attractiveness of neighbouring properties.
Officers had recommended the scheme be approved, saying it was sustainable and “represents one of the few current opportunities to help meet the current need in Hambleton for private pitches” for Gypsies.
However, members said the site would not meet the needs of the travelling community as research had revealed Gypsies preferred to live on council-run sites.
Northallerton councilor John Coulson said: “Too many times we do not listen to residents. This is a very important site and it has been well looked after over the years.”
After the meeting, Mr Lovell said he had been subjected to a campaign of bigotry and abuse since applying for planning permission and had been dismayed by the “aggressive and small-minded attitudes” displayed by some members of the authority’s planning committee.
He said he has reported incidents to the police after having eggs thrown at his car, gates vandalised and set on fire and, on the day after councillors visited his site, had two letter boxes destroyed.
He said he was optimistic that he would achieve a different outcome when a Government planning inspector viewed the case on its planning merits, so he would be able to offer the site to a homeless Gypsy family from Yorkshire.
Leeds-Wakefield border Traveller site plan rejected by planners - Yorkshire
From the Yorkshire Evening Post
A planning committee has rejected proposals for a controversial Traveller camp on green belt and on the Leeds–Wakefield border.
Planning officers had recommended that Wakefield Council’s planning committee approve plans for a 10-pitch site on grazing land next to the M62 motorway at Castle Gate, Stanley.
Officers said the site would not normally be considered for development, but stressed there were ‘special circumstances’ as council chiefs have a duty to provide sites for travellers.
Planning board members said they agreed there was a need for more Travellers’ sites in Wakefield district.
But they rejected the application and said they did not agree that there were sufficient ‘special circumstances’ to warrant building the site on green belt land.
More than 40 objectors packed in to the public gallery during the planning meeting at County Hall, Wakefield.
After the meeting, Stanley Residents Group chair Anne Storey said: “Everybody is thrilled and relieved. People have been having sleepless nights worrying about this.”
Group secretary Vikki Stansfield, who lives just 15 yards from the proposed camp, said: “We have had a year of hell but we have still got our green fields and that is why we live there and we didn’t want that spoiling.”
Coun Matthew Morley (labour/Stanley and Outwood East), said: “We are over the moon with the planning committee’s decision.”
Speaking in favour of the application, former Traveller Elizabeth Spaven told the meeting: “We want to provide a clean, stable environment for 10 Traveller families who can be given the facilities they need as well as opportunities for education.”
She added: “As Travellers ourselves, we know the people we are dealing with.
“Although there are good and bad in all walks of life, the Travellers we will be dealing with are good, decent people.”
Speaking against the proposal, objector Anne Storey said: “This is a knee-jerk reaction for short-term answers that has already been identified and dealt with by Wakefield Council. The application is for commercial gain which will be outside council control and we have no reassurances that pitches will go to those who need it.”
A planning committee has rejected proposals for a controversial Traveller camp on green belt and on the Leeds–Wakefield border.
Planning officers had recommended that Wakefield Council’s planning committee approve plans for a 10-pitch site on grazing land next to the M62 motorway at Castle Gate, Stanley.
Officers said the site would not normally be considered for development, but stressed there were ‘special circumstances’ as council chiefs have a duty to provide sites for travellers.
Planning board members said they agreed there was a need for more Travellers’ sites in Wakefield district.
But they rejected the application and said they did not agree that there were sufficient ‘special circumstances’ to warrant building the site on green belt land.
More than 40 objectors packed in to the public gallery during the planning meeting at County Hall, Wakefield.
After the meeting, Stanley Residents Group chair Anne Storey said: “Everybody is thrilled and relieved. People have been having sleepless nights worrying about this.”
Group secretary Vikki Stansfield, who lives just 15 yards from the proposed camp, said: “We have had a year of hell but we have still got our green fields and that is why we live there and we didn’t want that spoiling.”
Coun Matthew Morley (labour/Stanley and Outwood East), said: “We are over the moon with the planning committee’s decision.”
Speaking in favour of the application, former Traveller Elizabeth Spaven told the meeting: “We want to provide a clean, stable environment for 10 Traveller families who can be given the facilities they need as well as opportunities for education.”
She added: “As Travellers ourselves, we know the people we are dealing with.
“Although there are good and bad in all walks of life, the Travellers we will be dealing with are good, decent people.”
Speaking against the proposal, objector Anne Storey said: “This is a knee-jerk reaction for short-term answers that has already been identified and dealt with by Wakefield Council. The application is for commercial gain which will be outside council control and we have no reassurances that pitches will go to those who need it.”
In fairness, there are Travellers who make trouble ... it’s hard to convince people that we’re not all like that - Ireland
From the Irish Sun
AS a former European boxing champion and world title challenger, Willie ‘Big Bang’ Casey should be a household name.
Yet the proud Traveller hasn’t enjoyed the same exposure as other Irish champion boxers.
And while he would like to think otherwise, he knows his background might have something to do with it.
He told the Irish Sun: “I’ve seen people achieve less than I have and become more famous.
“I know people who have achieved less and have received big sponsorship deals.
“I suppose there’s always going to be a question, is that because I’m a Traveller?”
He added: “Look at Kenny Egan. After he won silver at the Beijing Olympics he became a superstar, and he deserved it.
“But how often have we seen John Joe Nevin since he won his silver?”
Now 31, Limerick man Willie has been a proud ambassador for the Traveller community throughout his life — in and out of the boxing ring.
However, he feels that, while discrimination is decreasing, Travellers are still getting a raw deal.
He said: “If you look at the world in general, things are changing. Barack Obama has just been re-elected for another four years.
“There are gays and lesbians walking down the road holding hands, and rightly so.
“Every man and woman should be accepted for who and what they are, but Travellers don’t get that same acceptance.
“If someone goes on radio and slags a coloured person, there is uproar. But, if someone says something negative about a Traveller, it’s OK. That’s the difference between being accepted and not accepted, and hopefully it will change.”
One of a family of 22, Willie was born into a trailer but his parents moved into a house in Southill when he was just a few months old.
He revealed: “I’ve no memory of the trailer and as a Traveller it would have been nice to have those memories.
“It was the way people lived and they managed fine, so you’d have to give them respect for it.
“You can be sure that if Travellers had their way now, there are some who would take to the roads again.”
Unfortunately, the general population in Ireland has failed to accept nomadism as a part of Traveller culture, so those who chose to go on the road were forced to camp on roadsides with no facilities.
Life on the move has always been difficult, but the introduction of the Housing Act in 2002 effectively put an end to the roaming life of Travellers.
Willie believes this is partly responsible for the shockingly high suicide rate among the Traveller community.
He said: “If you look at the culture that’s dying away, there’s a feeling of not being able to move around, of being confined to one space.
“I suppose 90 per cent of people can cope with that, but there’s always a few who can’t and I’ve always thought the suicide rate was in some way connected with that.”
Growing up, Willie’s older brothers and sisters went to a Traveller-only school, a situation he calls “a load of crap”.
He added: “I was the first in my family to go to an integrated school.
“The separate schools were the biggest load of crap ever and that’s why people found it so hard to get to know and respect Travellers, because they didn’t mix.” Ambitious Willie was the first in his family to complete his Junior Cert, but left school at 16 to train as a welder.
He counts himself luckier than most as he secured a job without any problems.
He married his childhood sweetheart Mary — who comes from the settled community — when he was 17.
The couple live in Southill with their four young children — Myles, 11, Willie, eight, Kerry, six, and Ellie May, three. He revealed: “I live in a settled community and the people there have great respect for me, as I do for them.
“I’m known and accepted around Southill but that doesn’t mean I’m accepted everywhere else. I’m in the public eye a lot more and people would have a bit more respect for me because of that.
“They’d see you on TV and on talk shows and think, ‘He’s a nice lad’, so people are more understanding of me than they are of other Travellers.”
As a professional boxer, Willie has also enjoyed great respect from his trainers, explaining: “They’ve brought me into their homes. I’ve met their families, stayed overnight.”
He is also well aware that his boxing exploits have won him huge support among the settled community. He recalled: “When I was fighting for the world title against Guillermo Rigondeaux 5,000 people came to cheer me on, and they weren’t all Travellers.”
The sports star knows that education is important, insisting: “There’s not a hope in hell that my kids will leave school early.”
Despite his positivity, he admits that discrimination is still alive and well.
But he conceded that sometimes criticism of some people in the Traveller community is justified. He explained: “To be fair, a lot of Travellers don’t make it easy for the rest of us.
“There are people who cause trouble and it’s hard to convince people then that we’re not all like that.
“People in the settled community cause trouble too.”
AS a former European boxing champion and world title challenger, Willie ‘Big Bang’ Casey should be a household name.
Yet the proud Traveller hasn’t enjoyed the same exposure as other Irish champion boxers.
And while he would like to think otherwise, he knows his background might have something to do with it.
He told the Irish Sun: “I’ve seen people achieve less than I have and become more famous.
“I know people who have achieved less and have received big sponsorship deals.
“I suppose there’s always going to be a question, is that because I’m a Traveller?”
He added: “Look at Kenny Egan. After he won silver at the Beijing Olympics he became a superstar, and he deserved it.
“But how often have we seen John Joe Nevin since he won his silver?”
Now 31, Limerick man Willie has been a proud ambassador for the Traveller community throughout his life — in and out of the boxing ring.
However, he feels that, while discrimination is decreasing, Travellers are still getting a raw deal.
He said: “If you look at the world in general, things are changing. Barack Obama has just been re-elected for another four years.
“There are gays and lesbians walking down the road holding hands, and rightly so.
“Every man and woman should be accepted for who and what they are, but Travellers don’t get that same acceptance.
“If someone goes on radio and slags a coloured person, there is uproar. But, if someone says something negative about a Traveller, it’s OK. That’s the difference between being accepted and not accepted, and hopefully it will change.”
One of a family of 22, Willie was born into a trailer but his parents moved into a house in Southill when he was just a few months old.
He revealed: “I’ve no memory of the trailer and as a Traveller it would have been nice to have those memories.
“It was the way people lived and they managed fine, so you’d have to give them respect for it.
“You can be sure that if Travellers had their way now, there are some who would take to the roads again.”
Unfortunately, the general population in Ireland has failed to accept nomadism as a part of Traveller culture, so those who chose to go on the road were forced to camp on roadsides with no facilities.
Life on the move has always been difficult, but the introduction of the Housing Act in 2002 effectively put an end to the roaming life of Travellers.
Willie believes this is partly responsible for the shockingly high suicide rate among the Traveller community.
He said: “If you look at the culture that’s dying away, there’s a feeling of not being able to move around, of being confined to one space.
“I suppose 90 per cent of people can cope with that, but there’s always a few who can’t and I’ve always thought the suicide rate was in some way connected with that.”
Growing up, Willie’s older brothers and sisters went to a Traveller-only school, a situation he calls “a load of crap”.
He added: “I was the first in my family to go to an integrated school.
“The separate schools were the biggest load of crap ever and that’s why people found it so hard to get to know and respect Travellers, because they didn’t mix.” Ambitious Willie was the first in his family to complete his Junior Cert, but left school at 16 to train as a welder.
He counts himself luckier than most as he secured a job without any problems.
He married his childhood sweetheart Mary — who comes from the settled community — when he was 17.
The couple live in Southill with their four young children — Myles, 11, Willie, eight, Kerry, six, and Ellie May, three. He revealed: “I live in a settled community and the people there have great respect for me, as I do for them.
“I’m known and accepted around Southill but that doesn’t mean I’m accepted everywhere else. I’m in the public eye a lot more and people would have a bit more respect for me because of that.
“They’d see you on TV and on talk shows and think, ‘He’s a nice lad’, so people are more understanding of me than they are of other Travellers.”
As a professional boxer, Willie has also enjoyed great respect from his trainers, explaining: “They’ve brought me into their homes. I’ve met their families, stayed overnight.”
He is also well aware that his boxing exploits have won him huge support among the settled community. He recalled: “When I was fighting for the world title against Guillermo Rigondeaux 5,000 people came to cheer me on, and they weren’t all Travellers.”
The sports star knows that education is important, insisting: “There’s not a hope in hell that my kids will leave school early.”
Despite his positivity, he admits that discrimination is still alive and well.
But he conceded that sometimes criticism of some people in the Traveller community is justified. He explained: “To be fair, a lot of Travellers don’t make it easy for the rest of us.
“There are people who cause trouble and it’s hard to convince people then that we’re not all like that.
“People in the settled community cause trouble too.”
Separate status for Travellers a misguided idea - Ireland
From the Irish Times
OPINION: The recent publication by Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn of a Private Members Bill on the issue has accelerated the campaign to recognise the Traveller community as a distinct and separate ethnic group within society.
Many threads have contributed to the rich and complex tapestry of Irishness over generations. It is always difficult when a group demands special status for itself and sets itself apart from the rest of the community.
I caution against this initiative. The ongoing campaign to give ethnic minority status to Travellers is both misguided and dangerous. Genetic studies have shown there is no basis for such a distinction. Travellers are Irish like the rest of us.
The cultural uniqueness of the Travellers is not of such a scale to justify minority status. They share the same language, religion and broad cultural inheritance of the vast majority of Irish people.
There are many other groups in Ireland who have their own cultural traditions, Gaeltacht people, farmers, Church of Ireland people, people who live in south County Dublin, Kerry people, Jewish people – the list is long. It would be ludicrous even to think in terms of designating these groups as ethnic minorities. Designating Travellers as an ethnic minority is equally ludicrous.
Designating a group within society as separate is also dangerous. If European history of the 20th century has taught us anything it has taught us that lesson. The Traveller organisations which support the granting of separate status should reflect very carefully on their arguments and on the history of Ireland.
Separate status
Far from improving the position of Travellers, separate status risks endangering and ultimately weakening their position. If any group sets itself apart from the wider community its members open themselves to a perception of not being Irish at all. That would be a dangerous stance to take. Giving separate status to Travellers would also set a precedent. We now have genuine ethnic minorities in Ireland. Are we going to give special status to Polish/Irish, Chinese/Irish, Nigerian/Irish, Lithuanian/Irish and others who some sections of the Irish commentariat like to describe as “the new Irish”. I doubt that the tens of thousands of Irish who settled in Britain in the 1950s and later would like themselves to be categorised as “the new British”.
The granting of special status to groups of differing opinion and persuasion is a recipe for fragmentation of Irish society. We live in a Republic where one of the most fundamental dispositions is that every citizen is equal before the law. Every citizen has rights and fundamental to those rights are responsibilities. That is how it should be and that is how it should remain.
Wolfe Tone
It is ironic that a Sinn Féin member of the Dáil should propose a Bill to accord special status to one particular group of Irish people. After all it was Wolfe Tone, a founding figure of Irish republicanism, who expressed the view that he wished to replace Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter with the common name of Irishman.
I fully acknowledge that the Traveller community has been disadvantaged. It is not unique. Many other groups in Ireland have also suffered disadvantage. Significant progress has been made in recent decades in improving the conditions of and opportunities for Travellers. This work must continue and the Traveller community must provide the leadership for the further advances. Specifically, the Traveller community needs to tackle the issue of rural crime, which is a particular problem in their community. The very high levels of unemployment in the Traveller community can be eased by a strong commitment to training and education. Similarly the State needs to address as a matter of urgency men’s health issues as they apply to Travellers. Local Traveller action groups active in most counties in the State and co-ordinated by Travellers themselves continue to do great work, albeit with reduced funding, improving the living conditions of Travellers.
Ireland was always a diverse society. In recent years it is becoming even more diverse. Let us celebrate that diversity. Separating us into different elements and categories would be unhelpful and regressive.
The Traveller community has always made a strong contribution to Irish society. Long may that contribution continue, as part of a whole, not separate and distinct.
In the words of the slogan – united we stand, divided we fall.
is a TD for Laois-Offaly and is chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party.
OPINION: The recent publication by Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn of a Private Members Bill on the issue has accelerated the campaign to recognise the Traveller community as a distinct and separate ethnic group within society.
Many threads have contributed to the rich and complex tapestry of Irishness over generations. It is always difficult when a group demands special status for itself and sets itself apart from the rest of the community.
I caution against this initiative. The ongoing campaign to give ethnic minority status to Travellers is both misguided and dangerous. Genetic studies have shown there is no basis for such a distinction. Travellers are Irish like the rest of us.
The cultural uniqueness of the Travellers is not of such a scale to justify minority status. They share the same language, religion and broad cultural inheritance of the vast majority of Irish people.
There are many other groups in Ireland who have their own cultural traditions, Gaeltacht people, farmers, Church of Ireland people, people who live in south County Dublin, Kerry people, Jewish people – the list is long. It would be ludicrous even to think in terms of designating these groups as ethnic minorities. Designating Travellers as an ethnic minority is equally ludicrous.
Designating a group within society as separate is also dangerous. If European history of the 20th century has taught us anything it has taught us that lesson. The Traveller organisations which support the granting of separate status should reflect very carefully on their arguments and on the history of Ireland.
Separate status
Far from improving the position of Travellers, separate status risks endangering and ultimately weakening their position. If any group sets itself apart from the wider community its members open themselves to a perception of not being Irish at all. That would be a dangerous stance to take. Giving separate status to Travellers would also set a precedent. We now have genuine ethnic minorities in Ireland. Are we going to give special status to Polish/Irish, Chinese/Irish, Nigerian/Irish, Lithuanian/Irish and others who some sections of the Irish commentariat like to describe as “the new Irish”. I doubt that the tens of thousands of Irish who settled in Britain in the 1950s and later would like themselves to be categorised as “the new British”.
The granting of special status to groups of differing opinion and persuasion is a recipe for fragmentation of Irish society. We live in a Republic where one of the most fundamental dispositions is that every citizen is equal before the law. Every citizen has rights and fundamental to those rights are responsibilities. That is how it should be and that is how it should remain.
Wolfe Tone
It is ironic that a Sinn Féin member of the Dáil should propose a Bill to accord special status to one particular group of Irish people. After all it was Wolfe Tone, a founding figure of Irish republicanism, who expressed the view that he wished to replace Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter with the common name of Irishman.
I fully acknowledge that the Traveller community has been disadvantaged. It is not unique. Many other groups in Ireland have also suffered disadvantage. Significant progress has been made in recent decades in improving the conditions of and opportunities for Travellers. This work must continue and the Traveller community must provide the leadership for the further advances. Specifically, the Traveller community needs to tackle the issue of rural crime, which is a particular problem in their community. The very high levels of unemployment in the Traveller community can be eased by a strong commitment to training and education. Similarly the State needs to address as a matter of urgency men’s health issues as they apply to Travellers. Local Traveller action groups active in most counties in the State and co-ordinated by Travellers themselves continue to do great work, albeit with reduced funding, improving the living conditions of Travellers.
Ireland was always a diverse society. In recent years it is becoming even more diverse. Let us celebrate that diversity. Separating us into different elements and categories would be unhelpful and regressive.
The Traveller community has always made a strong contribution to Irish society. Long may that contribution continue, as part of a whole, not separate and distinct.
In the words of the slogan – united we stand, divided we fall.
is a TD for Laois-Offaly and is chairman of the Fine Gael parliamentary party.
Council anger as Travellers return to Darwen - Lancashire
From the Lancashire Telegraph
COUNCILLORS are angry after Travellers returned to land off Hollins Grove Street in Darwen for the second time in a year.
Caravans were first seen on Wednesday after a locked gate was smashed open to allow access to the site.
About 10 of the caravans could be seen on the land yesterday.
The privately-owned land, opposite the site of the former Hollins Grove paper mill, is listed for sale at £1.1million.
Sgt Dave Sherrington, of Darwen’s neighbourhood policing team, said it should only be temporary.
He said: “I have made enquiries with our community cohesion unit who deal with these situations.
“As far as I am aware they probably aren’t going to be there for long as it is only a temporary encampment.
“I believe they should be moving on soon.”
Sudell councillor Paul Browne, who lives in nearby Greenway Street, said he was furious.
He said: “It is time we got prosecuting these people as they get away with all sorts.
“If we did that, we would be prosecuted for it.
“It is time the law came down on the side of the public. It is wrong. Absolutely wrong.”
Earcroft councillor Trevor Maxfield said: “If they leave the site clean and tidy I wouldn’t mind so much, but they don’t usually.
“There is a need for a Traveller’s site in the borough so they don’t have to break into private property. I just hope the landowner acts to get them moved on quickly for the sake of those living nearby.”
It is the second time in under a year that the site has been used by Travellers. Sixty caravans pitched up there early last year.
They were served with a section 61 notice under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act and left the site on March 5.
COUNCILLORS are angry after Travellers returned to land off Hollins Grove Street in Darwen for the second time in a year.
Caravans were first seen on Wednesday after a locked gate was smashed open to allow access to the site.
About 10 of the caravans could be seen on the land yesterday.
The privately-owned land, opposite the site of the former Hollins Grove paper mill, is listed for sale at £1.1million.
Sgt Dave Sherrington, of Darwen’s neighbourhood policing team, said it should only be temporary.
He said: “I have made enquiries with our community cohesion unit who deal with these situations.
“As far as I am aware they probably aren’t going to be there for long as it is only a temporary encampment.
“I believe they should be moving on soon.”
Sudell councillor Paul Browne, who lives in nearby Greenway Street, said he was furious.
He said: “It is time we got prosecuting these people as they get away with all sorts.
“If we did that, we would be prosecuted for it.
“It is time the law came down on the side of the public. It is wrong. Absolutely wrong.”
Earcroft councillor Trevor Maxfield said: “If they leave the site clean and tidy I wouldn’t mind so much, but they don’t usually.
“There is a need for a Traveller’s site in the borough so they don’t have to break into private property. I just hope the landowner acts to get them moved on quickly for the sake of those living nearby.”
It is the second time in under a year that the site has been used by Travellers. Sixty caravans pitched up there early last year.
They were served with a section 61 notice under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act and left the site on March 5.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)