From Independent.ie
It is high summer, or what passes for it in Ireland, and we are passing through the picture postcard delights of the Limerick village of Adare.
As salmon loll near the surface of the river, for even fish like a bit of the sun occasionally, it is easy to see why the self-styled 'prettiest village in Ireland' is the playground du jour of our new aristocrats.
We continue, for our destination is not Adare but the even better known town of Rathkeale -- which has come to international attention courtesy most recently of the Channel 4 My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding series.
Ireland is, of course, famous for being a land of contrasts, and sadly the once prosperous Rathkeale is becoming famous for far darker activities than diamante mile-long gypsy wedding dresses or its status as the unofficial Traveller capital of Ireland.
Nothing prepares you for the starkness of the spectacle that unfolds from the outskirts of what should be a tidy prosperous community. Instead you enter a town in crisis.
"All the conditions for a social time-bomb'' are developing in the mixed Traveller/settled community of Rathkeale, said Fianna Fail justice spokesman Niall Collins, who wants the State authorities, Customs, Social Protection Officers, the Revenue and the CAB to combine to deal with escalating levels of crime and lawlessness in the area.
Despite its location in lush rolling countryside just 7km from the plush Adare village, a combination of lax council supervision, political indifference and increasing lawlessness has sparked growing fears that Rathkeale is on the edge of becoming the rural equivalent of the devastated Moyross estate in Limerick.
As the town struggles to deal with Traveller criminality in areas as varied as the smuggling of rhino horn -- a commodity more valuable than cocaine and blood diamonds -- there are also major concerns about money laundering and fencing.
Ironically, Rathkeale for most of the year is a peaceful community that experiences low levels of criminality. However, the situation is transformed during certain times of the year, particularly the summer and Christmas, when the town's population is, according to Collins, "trebled and occasionally quadrupled by hordes of non-indigenous Travellers'.'
Rathkeale now needs a "major regeneration project on the scale of Moyross to deal with unprecedented levels of dereliction," said Collins, who said a "property audit" is required to deal with the mass purchase of property by people who then shutter it up and leave it in an abandoned state for 11 months of the year.
While Rathkeale has always had a high proportion of Travellers, community, political and policing sources all claim that the source of the village's escalating woes is the major influx of non-native Travellers who have chosen Rathkeale as an unofficial capital of the Traveller community.
Their arrival from areas as diverse as eastern Europe, the infamous Dale Farm in England, Paris, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Italy at Christmas requires a dedicated policing plan, including armed police, to maintain order in this sleepy town of little more than 1,000 souls, said the local TD.
Though the media focuses attention on these festivals, the main cause of the escalating tensions within this unique community is the alleged mass purchasing of property at the expense of locals by these Travellers who then leave the properties in a derelict and boarded up state.
Its most astonishing phenomenon is what locals call the "Traveller ghost estates'', where entire housing developments with mansion-like five- bedroom detached houses are largely derelict, occupied for at most one month of the year.
In these estates, which are believed to be predominantly owned by the non-indigenous Traveller community, nothing grows except for weeds, and every house, though apparently empty, is protected by the iconic high steel gates, security grilles, and ubiquitous CCTV cameras and 'keep out' notices.
A drive through the town also reveals that the phenomenon of these 'ghost' houses has spread to "respectable middle-class estates and older council-owned housing'' where an unspoken but grim battle is occurring between the settled community and non-indigenous Travellers who are seeking to "colonise'' the older estates.
The unease of the local residents is understandable for those Traveller houses which are owned in settled estates, with their steel grilles and iron barricaded doors, resemble something one would see near a Belfast peace line.
Collins said: "The settled community live in harmony with the native Travellers; it is the people who leave the town for 11 months and then swamp the community that are the problem."
Ultimately the most shocking feature of what is a pretty unique town is its main thoroughfare, for this is a street which is locked up.
The collapse of Ireland's retail economy means there is no shortage of deserted village-type scenes on Ireland's main streets, but few can match the desolation of a main street where over 50 per cent of its buildings appear to be in lockdown.
One of the rougher measures of a town's prosperity in rural Ireland, with apologies to Roisin Shortall, is the number of functioning pubs.
We are told that "once in Rathkeale, a man could drink in a different pub each week of the year and still have a couple left over for Christmas week''. Today the town has just five pubs.
The anger and concern within the community is captured by the views of Seamus Hogan, the chairman of Rathkeale Action Group.
"We have a main street of derelict buildings locked up forever,'' he said.
Hogan outlined an incredible situation where, in Rathkeale, "properties that are purchased for phenomenal cash sums simply cease trading, and are boarded and hoarded up".
The community activist noted, "Rathkeale's greatest asset is its community -- we're proud to be from Rathkeale, but there's no support from a higher level. We're the ones left here to clean it up. People still want to live in the town but commercial life will cease to exist here within five years. It is as if the oxygen is being shut off slowly.''
Referring to the high-profile influxes in summer and at Christmas, Hogan noted of the town that "at the moment it's like Disneyland but come back at Christmas and it's more like Afghanistan''.
In spite of all these grim concerns, life can, for the moment, still continue as normal in Rathkeale.
Damien O'Grady, the leaseholder of the pleasantly apportioned Rathkeale Hotel, told the Sunday Independent that "the place gets a bad reputation" but he notes that a high-profile row in the hotel's car park that received publicity because a Traveller function was taking place didn't involve Travellers at all.
"We do get an influx at Christmas -- I call them tourists, it's like me going to France for six weeks -- but in spite of our reputation, this town has all the elements of a community: the golf, the GAA, soccer, one of the best boxing clubs in Ireland, Mr O'Grady said.
"It is important that myself, politicians and business people keep a positive side out," he added.
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
AM’s concern over Pontypool Gypsy site - Gwent
From the South Wales Argus
THE Shadow Minister for Sports and Equalities expressed concern over Torfaen Council ’s proposal to expand a Gypsy Traveller site in Pontypool by using a football pitch.
Mohammad Asghar AM is concerned about proposals to extend the current Shepherd’s Hill site in Cwmynyscoy by using a football pitch at the Race to accommodate more caravans.
The proposals for a £3.6 million expansion of the Gypsy and Travellers site will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of Torfaen council on September 13 at 4pm in Pontypool Active Living Centre, which will consider the council’s Local Development Plan.
Race Junior Football Club have been battling for a designated safe football pitch since 1997 when their local pitch was closed due to subsidence.
Mohammad Asghar AM said: "The football club has been requesting a new pitch for the past 15 years after Torfaen Council closed the previous one for health and safety reasons. The Council is aware that this club has been in need of facilities for a long time and has failed to acknowledge requests for a new pitch. This is not acceptable.
"As Shadow Minister for Equalities, I acknowledge the need and the right for every human being to have access to shelter and accommodation. The Gypsy and travelling community are no exception and have been provided with the Shepherd's Hill site since 1974.
"However, the non-travelling members of the community also have the right to see enhancements to their facilities. The football club should also be a priority.
"There have also been allegations that members of the Gypsy Traveller community have been involved in anti-social behaviour and criminal activities. Apparently some members of the Torfaen community have not felt comfortable approaching the police about these issues. They must be encouraged to come forward and make their voices heard or else they will be marginalised in council decisions.
"The council needs to represent and treat both communities fairly."
A spokesman for Torfaen Council said: "We are in active discussions with the club and have identified a potential site as part of our Gypsy Traveller proposals.
"The proposals are not totally dependent on each other, however there are potential funding opportunities to finance the new football field which we would look to explore."
THE Shadow Minister for Sports and Equalities expressed concern over Torfaen Council ’s proposal to expand a Gypsy Traveller site in Pontypool by using a football pitch.
Mohammad Asghar AM is concerned about proposals to extend the current Shepherd’s Hill site in Cwmynyscoy by using a football pitch at the Race to accommodate more caravans.
The proposals for a £3.6 million expansion of the Gypsy and Travellers site will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of Torfaen council on September 13 at 4pm in Pontypool Active Living Centre, which will consider the council’s Local Development Plan.
Race Junior Football Club have been battling for a designated safe football pitch since 1997 when their local pitch was closed due to subsidence.
Mohammad Asghar AM said: "The football club has been requesting a new pitch for the past 15 years after Torfaen Council closed the previous one for health and safety reasons. The Council is aware that this club has been in need of facilities for a long time and has failed to acknowledge requests for a new pitch. This is not acceptable.
"As Shadow Minister for Equalities, I acknowledge the need and the right for every human being to have access to shelter and accommodation. The Gypsy and travelling community are no exception and have been provided with the Shepherd's Hill site since 1974.
"However, the non-travelling members of the community also have the right to see enhancements to their facilities. The football club should also be a priority.
"There have also been allegations that members of the Gypsy Traveller community have been involved in anti-social behaviour and criminal activities. Apparently some members of the Torfaen community have not felt comfortable approaching the police about these issues. They must be encouraged to come forward and make their voices heard or else they will be marginalised in council decisions.
"The council needs to represent and treat both communities fairly."
A spokesman for Torfaen Council said: "We are in active discussions with the club and have identified a potential site as part of our Gypsy Traveller proposals.
"The proposals are not totally dependent on each other, however there are potential funding opportunities to finance the new football field which we would look to explore."
Gypsies set up illegal camp at Kate Middleton's former school - Wiltshire
From The Sun
GYPSIES have invaded one of Britain's poshest schools and refusing to budge.
Half a dozen caravans and assorted vehicles formed an illegal camp on playing fields at Marlborough College - Kate Middleton’s former school.
Travellers told cops they plan to remain at the exclusive £30,000-a-year school until after the weekend.
Resident Jacqui Broadbridge said: “We could hardly believe our eyes when this convoy of Gypsy lorries, caravans and horseboxes drove through the estate.
“They must have been looking for somewhere to set up camp. We then heard they had driven straight through the gates onto the college playing fields.”
Travellers arrived last night after being evicted from an illegal site in nearby Newbury, Berks.
The group, in caravans, horseboxes and even tarmac lorries, drove through the school gates by the Memorial Hall and parked on the playing fields.
Cops are at the scene stopping new arrivals but admitted they powerless to evict them.
One said: “There is little we can do because it is private land. The college staff are aware the Travellers are here and it is up to the school to take legal action to remove them.
“All we can do is stand and watch and wait and from what we have been told by a member of the college staff the Travellers have said they intend to stay until Monday.”
The Duchess of Cambridge was captain of the college’s hockey team during the 1990s.
Jonathan Leigh, Master at Marlborough College, said: “We are pursuing all legal steps to remove these people as soon as possible.”
GYPSIES have invaded one of Britain's poshest schools and refusing to budge.
Half a dozen caravans and assorted vehicles formed an illegal camp on playing fields at Marlborough College - Kate Middleton’s former school.
Travellers told cops they plan to remain at the exclusive £30,000-a-year school until after the weekend.
Resident Jacqui Broadbridge said: “We could hardly believe our eyes when this convoy of Gypsy lorries, caravans and horseboxes drove through the estate.
“They must have been looking for somewhere to set up camp. We then heard they had driven straight through the gates onto the college playing fields.”
Travellers arrived last night after being evicted from an illegal site in nearby Newbury, Berks.
The group, in caravans, horseboxes and even tarmac lorries, drove through the school gates by the Memorial Hall and parked on the playing fields.
Cops are at the scene stopping new arrivals but admitted they powerless to evict them.
One said: “There is little we can do because it is private land. The college staff are aware the Travellers are here and it is up to the school to take legal action to remove them.
“All we can do is stand and watch and wait and from what we have been told by a member of the college staff the Travellers have said they intend to stay until Monday.”
The Duchess of Cambridge was captain of the college’s hockey team during the 1990s.
Jonathan Leigh, Master at Marlborough College, said: “We are pursuing all legal steps to remove these people as soon as possible.”
Gypsy study unravels a novel ataxia gene
From Medical Press
A WA study of an isolated population of Eastern European Gypsies known as "Bowlmakers" has unlocked clues about a serious developmental disease - congenital cerebellar ataxia.
Professor Luba Kalaydjieva and Dr Dimitar Azmanov, from The University of Western Australia, say the discovery of an important genetic mutation is likely to inspire other scientific work around the world. The result of their research for the UWA-affiliated Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) was published online today in the prestigious American Journal of Human Genetics. It involved working collaboratively with other Australian and European researchers to discover mutations within a gene which has never before been linked to this form of heredity ataxia in humans. Ataxias are a large group of neurodegenerative disorders that affect the ability to maintain balance, and learn and maintain motor skills. While many genes have already been implicated in hereditary ataxias, understanding their molecular basis is far from complete. New knowledge will help the understanding of normal brain development and function, and the mechanisms of degeneration. "Gypsies are a founder population," Professor Kalaydjieva said. "They are derived from a small number of ancestors and have remained relatively isolated from surrounding populations. The Bowlmakers - known for their wooden handicrafts such as bowls and spoons - were an ideal group to study because they are a younger sub-isolate, showing limited genetic diversity. "We studied a novel form of ataxia in 3 families in this ethnic group. Clinical and brain-imaging investigations were done in Bulgaria, in collaboration with radiologists from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital, and were followed-up by genetic studies at WAIMR and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI), Melbourne. "Signs of ataxia were detected in early infancy when motor skills like crawling and rolling over did not develop. The affected individuals presented with global developmental delay, ataxia and intellectual deficit. MRI scans showed signs of degeneration of the cerebellum, which is part of the brain controlling motor and learning skills. Overall, the life expectancy is not decreased but the quality of life is severely affected. "The parents of the affected individuals did not present with any clinical symptoms of the ataxia, suggesting recessive inheritance," Dr Azmanov said. "Our genetic studies showed unique changes in the gene encoding metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (GRM1), which is important for the normal development of the cerbellar cortex. The mutations inherited by all affected individuals from their unaffected carrier parents dramatically altered the structure of the GRM1 receptor." Professor Kalaydjieva said the exact pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the clinical manifestations and cerebellar degeneration are yet to be explained and that this opens novel research avenues for the wider scientific community. "It also remains to be seen if other ataxia patients around the world carry mutations in GRM1," she said.
see also Science Alert - Gypsies reveals disease gene
A WA study of an isolated population of Eastern European Gypsies known as "Bowlmakers" has unlocked clues about a serious developmental disease - congenital cerebellar ataxia.
Professor Luba Kalaydjieva and Dr Dimitar Azmanov, from The University of Western Australia, say the discovery of an important genetic mutation is likely to inspire other scientific work around the world. The result of their research for the UWA-affiliated Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) was published online today in the prestigious American Journal of Human Genetics. It involved working collaboratively with other Australian and European researchers to discover mutations within a gene which has never before been linked to this form of heredity ataxia in humans. Ataxias are a large group of neurodegenerative disorders that affect the ability to maintain balance, and learn and maintain motor skills. While many genes have already been implicated in hereditary ataxias, understanding their molecular basis is far from complete. New knowledge will help the understanding of normal brain development and function, and the mechanisms of degeneration. "Gypsies are a founder population," Professor Kalaydjieva said. "They are derived from a small number of ancestors and have remained relatively isolated from surrounding populations. The Bowlmakers - known for their wooden handicrafts such as bowls and spoons - were an ideal group to study because they are a younger sub-isolate, showing limited genetic diversity. "We studied a novel form of ataxia in 3 families in this ethnic group. Clinical and brain-imaging investigations were done in Bulgaria, in collaboration with radiologists from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital, and were followed-up by genetic studies at WAIMR and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI), Melbourne. "Signs of ataxia were detected in early infancy when motor skills like crawling and rolling over did not develop. The affected individuals presented with global developmental delay, ataxia and intellectual deficit. MRI scans showed signs of degeneration of the cerebellum, which is part of the brain controlling motor and learning skills. Overall, the life expectancy is not decreased but the quality of life is severely affected. "The parents of the affected individuals did not present with any clinical symptoms of the ataxia, suggesting recessive inheritance," Dr Azmanov said. "Our genetic studies showed unique changes in the gene encoding metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (GRM1), which is important for the normal development of the cerbellar cortex. The mutations inherited by all affected individuals from their unaffected carrier parents dramatically altered the structure of the GRM1 receptor." Professor Kalaydjieva said the exact pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the clinical manifestations and cerebellar degeneration are yet to be explained and that this opens novel research avenues for the wider scientific community. "It also remains to be seen if other ataxia patients around the world carry mutations in GRM1," she said.
see also Science Alert - Gypsies reveals disease gene
Gypsy schoolgirl who works in seafront amusement arcade wins place to study English Literature at Oxford University
From the Daily Mail
A Gypsy who works in an amusement park is off to Oxford University after gaining outstanding A-level results, making her one of the first Travellers to make it there.
Shelby Holmes, 18, who is happy to call herself a Gypsy is head girl at St Brigid’s School in Denbigh, north Wales, has been travelling the UK outside term time all her young life.
But now she will have to put down new roots after her place to read English literature at Trinity College, Oxford, was confirmed.
Miss Holmes, 18, achieved two A* in English Literature and religious studies and a B in history.
Shelby is from Towyn and on top of her studying she has a part-time job in the family run amusement park, Pleasure Land.
But she wasn't out celebrating last night when her results came out, as she had to be back at work calling out bingo numbers.
'It is great news, I had to get three As to get into Oxford but, because I got two A*s, thankfully I’ve still got in,' she said.
'These type of results are extremely unusual for Travellers and to go to any university is very rare for us.'
'My family and my mum have been behind me all the way to go to university and during my exams,' she said.
'I won’t be out celebrating unfortunately, I’m working in the arcade calling the bingo numbers.
'I’ve been saving money for university and me and my family take fair equipment to the Chester fair and I help build the rides and mind the children all day.'
Shelby travels all over the UK with her family and has set up a fair in St Giles in Oxford several times.
'I’ll be moving to Oxford University in October and will still go travelling with my family in winter but not in term time,' she said.
'I am really excited to go to university, I’ve been to Oxford a few times now with the fair, I’ve become quite familiar with it.'
One of Shelby’s proudest teachers is head of sixth form Stuart Ayres.
'We have had great results, but we are especially proud of Shelby as she is a Traveller and works so hard,' he said.
'We feel like we brought her up because she has been with us for so long and done so well, this is the kind of place you can do something like this.
'She is unlike anyone else, we usually send someone to Oxford or Cambridge every year and Shelby has done really well to get in.'
A spokesman for the National Gypsy Council said Shelby’s academic success was great news.
'More and more Gypsies and Travellers are getting into education these days,” said spokesman Joseph Jones.
'That being said, Gypsies and Travellers are still the bottom of every grades table/graph.
'We have a number of Gypsy Traveller academics but there needs to be more.'
Shelby’s place at Trinity College, Oxford, is a sign of changing times at one of the world’s greatest academic institutions.
A University of Oxford spokesman said: 'Oxford works incredibly hard to ensure candidates from non-traditional and under-represented backgrounds are not put off applying here and undertook more than 1,500 outreach events last year alone.
'We are very pleased that for 2012 entry we have continued to attract students from schools and backgrounds that have little previous experience with Oxford.
'We will continue our programme of outreach and recruitment activities in Wales and hope more academically talented Welsh students will consider looking across the border to Oxford.'
A Gypsy who works in an amusement park is off to Oxford University after gaining outstanding A-level results, making her one of the first Travellers to make it there.
Shelby Holmes, 18, who is happy to call herself a Gypsy is head girl at St Brigid’s School in Denbigh, north Wales, has been travelling the UK outside term time all her young life.
But now she will have to put down new roots after her place to read English literature at Trinity College, Oxford, was confirmed.
Miss Holmes, 18, achieved two A* in English Literature and religious studies and a B in history.
Shelby is from Towyn and on top of her studying she has a part-time job in the family run amusement park, Pleasure Land.
But she wasn't out celebrating last night when her results came out, as she had to be back at work calling out bingo numbers.
'It is great news, I had to get three As to get into Oxford but, because I got two A*s, thankfully I’ve still got in,' she said.
'These type of results are extremely unusual for Travellers and to go to any university is very rare for us.'
'My family and my mum have been behind me all the way to go to university and during my exams,' she said.
'I won’t be out celebrating unfortunately, I’m working in the arcade calling the bingo numbers.
'I’ve been saving money for university and me and my family take fair equipment to the Chester fair and I help build the rides and mind the children all day.'
Shelby travels all over the UK with her family and has set up a fair in St Giles in Oxford several times.
'I’ll be moving to Oxford University in October and will still go travelling with my family in winter but not in term time,' she said.
'I am really excited to go to university, I’ve been to Oxford a few times now with the fair, I’ve become quite familiar with it.'
One of Shelby’s proudest teachers is head of sixth form Stuart Ayres.
'We have had great results, but we are especially proud of Shelby as she is a Traveller and works so hard,' he said.
'We feel like we brought her up because she has been with us for so long and done so well, this is the kind of place you can do something like this.
'She is unlike anyone else, we usually send someone to Oxford or Cambridge every year and Shelby has done really well to get in.'
A spokesman for the National Gypsy Council said Shelby’s academic success was great news.
'More and more Gypsies and Travellers are getting into education these days,” said spokesman Joseph Jones.
'That being said, Gypsies and Travellers are still the bottom of every grades table/graph.
'We have a number of Gypsy Traveller academics but there needs to be more.'
Shelby’s place at Trinity College, Oxford, is a sign of changing times at one of the world’s greatest academic institutions.
A University of Oxford spokesman said: 'Oxford works incredibly hard to ensure candidates from non-traditional and under-represented backgrounds are not put off applying here and undertook more than 1,500 outreach events last year alone.
'We are very pleased that for 2012 entry we have continued to attract students from schools and backgrounds that have little previous experience with Oxford.
'We will continue our programme of outreach and recruitment activities in Wales and hope more academically talented Welsh students will consider looking across the border to Oxford.'
Funeral held for scrap metal dealer in Worcestershire
From the BBC
Hundreds of people from Gypsy and Traveller communities have taken part in a funeral procession through Worcester.
The funeral for 84-year-old William Smith, a well-known scrap metal dealer, was held at St Philip and St James Church in Hallow.
The cortege included a horse-drawn hearse, six limousines and flatbed lorries, lined with floral tributes.
Mr Smith started a scrap metal business in Sheriff Street in the 1960s.
The cortege gathered in Wylds Lane and made its way through the city to Hallow, with some side roads closed off as it passed by.
see also The Worcester News - Good send-off for Romany Gypsy William Smith
Hundreds of people from Gypsy and Traveller communities have taken part in a funeral procession through Worcester.
The funeral for 84-year-old William Smith, a well-known scrap metal dealer, was held at St Philip and St James Church in Hallow.
The cortege included a horse-drawn hearse, six limousines and flatbed lorries, lined with floral tributes.
Mr Smith started a scrap metal business in Sheriff Street in the 1960s.
The cortege gathered in Wylds Lane and made its way through the city to Hallow, with some side roads closed off as it passed by.
see also The Worcester News - Good send-off for Romany Gypsy William Smith
Leeds: £1 million plan to expand Traveller site - Yorkshire
From the Yorkshire Post
Council chiefs in Leeds are planning to expand Cottingley Springs Gypsy and Travellers’ camp following a year-long search for a new site.
Areas across the city were assessed before officials finally settled on extending Leeds’s only permanent Travellers’ site, which is off Gelderd Road.
Cottingley Springs currently has 41 pitches and it is proposed to create a further 12.
Funding is being provided by the Government, which earlier this year handed the council
a £1m grant to develop more Gypsy and Traveller pitches.
The council currently spends about £300,000 a year on legal and others costs to deal with unauthorised encampments.
The key aim of the proposal, which will be put to the council’s executive board next month, is to provide spaces for 12 Leeds-based Gypsy and Traveller families who are constantly moved on by the council.
Neil Evans, the council’s environment and neighbourhoods director, said: “We are not proposing to provide accommodation for families that are passing through Leeds.
“We are trying to accommodate about 12 travelling families that to all intents and purposes are Leeds families and we are in a cycle of eviction with them.
“It is not good for them and not good for the communities who find them turning up unplanned.”
He acknowledged that cases of unauthorised sites would still occur but was confident there would be fewer.
If the scheme is approved by the board and wins planning consent, work could get underway by late next year.
Since the search for a new site was announced there has been much speculation about which area would be chosen. Only last week the council had to deny land off Calverley Lane, Horsforth, had been selected.
All council land was considered and 87 sites were listed as available within the next 12 months. The list was whittled down to 35 and these were visited by planning and housing officers.
Mr Evans said all were rejected for a variety of reasons including size, cost and access problems. Some the council wanted to retain for affordable housing or other uses.
Helen Jones, of Leeds Gypsy and Travellers Exchange, said the suggestion that there was nowhere else in Leeds other than Cottingley Springs suitable for a Gypsy and Travellers’ site was appalling.
She added: “A Gypsy and Travellers’ site is affordable housing. Shops, schools and other facilities are too far away from Cottingley Springs and this proposal makes an existing problem even bigger.”
Council chiefs in Leeds are planning to expand Cottingley Springs Gypsy and Travellers’ camp following a year-long search for a new site.
Areas across the city were assessed before officials finally settled on extending Leeds’s only permanent Travellers’ site, which is off Gelderd Road.
Cottingley Springs currently has 41 pitches and it is proposed to create a further 12.
Funding is being provided by the Government, which earlier this year handed the council
a £1m grant to develop more Gypsy and Traveller pitches.
The council currently spends about £300,000 a year on legal and others costs to deal with unauthorised encampments.
The key aim of the proposal, which will be put to the council’s executive board next month, is to provide spaces for 12 Leeds-based Gypsy and Traveller families who are constantly moved on by the council.
Neil Evans, the council’s environment and neighbourhoods director, said: “We are not proposing to provide accommodation for families that are passing through Leeds.
“We are trying to accommodate about 12 travelling families that to all intents and purposes are Leeds families and we are in a cycle of eviction with them.
“It is not good for them and not good for the communities who find them turning up unplanned.”
He acknowledged that cases of unauthorised sites would still occur but was confident there would be fewer.
If the scheme is approved by the board and wins planning consent, work could get underway by late next year.
Since the search for a new site was announced there has been much speculation about which area would be chosen. Only last week the council had to deny land off Calverley Lane, Horsforth, had been selected.
All council land was considered and 87 sites were listed as available within the next 12 months. The list was whittled down to 35 and these were visited by planning and housing officers.
Mr Evans said all were rejected for a variety of reasons including size, cost and access problems. Some the council wanted to retain for affordable housing or other uses.
Helen Jones, of Leeds Gypsy and Travellers Exchange, said the suggestion that there was nowhere else in Leeds other than Cottingley Springs suitable for a Gypsy and Travellers’ site was appalling.
She added: “A Gypsy and Travellers’ site is affordable housing. Shops, schools and other facilities are too far away from Cottingley Springs and this proposal makes an existing problem even bigger.”
Town's view of Travellers go on display - Llanelli
From the Llanelli Star
LLANELLI'S view of Travellers and Gypsies is set to be explored after three months of student research.
Anna Toldo, a student from Modena e Reggio Emilia University, has spent the summer on an internship with Llanelli Multicultural Network, carrying out a research project into stereotypes and perceptions of different cultural groups.
It is the first time the group has welcomed a foreign student to the town, and staff have helped Anna put together an exhibition of her findings.
"I have looked at stereotypical views of certain minority groups, in particular Muslims and members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, and the effects that negative views can have," Anna said.
Determined
"It has been a really interesting project — I have been out meeting members of the community and finding out from them how this affects everyday life."
Determined to find out how Llanelli residents view different cultural groups, Anna took to the town centre with a video camera to carry out random interviews.
"The interviewees have come from all walks of life, and the background information and interviews will be part of a film presentation at the event," Anna said.
"We were asking things like 'if I say the word Muslim, what is the first thing that comes to mind?'
"Some of the answers were surprising, and everyone has different opinions."
Anna's findings will be on display at Llanelli Town Hall, from 3pm to 6pm, on Saturday, September 1, and Paolo Piana, of Llanelli Multicultural Network, said he is looking forward to the event.
"We have a band coming who sing in Romany and a lady from Syria, who will give a presentation — there will be some fun stuff and some informative stuff," he said.
"It's the first time we have had someone come in for an internship with us, and we think it has been really successful."
The event will also feature live music from the Amigos, as well as a buffet, and if successful could form the basis for similar presentations.
"When town closes, all these youngsters come out with their skateboards," Paolo said. "We got talking to them and they said they are stereotyped in exactly the same way because of what they wear — we are now looking at doing some work with them."
To book a free place at the event, call the multicultural society on 01554 785954 or email laura.hancock@ cavs.org.uk or anna.toldo@cavs.org.uk
LLANELLI'S view of Travellers and Gypsies is set to be explored after three months of student research.
Anna Toldo, a student from Modena e Reggio Emilia University, has spent the summer on an internship with Llanelli Multicultural Network, carrying out a research project into stereotypes and perceptions of different cultural groups.
It is the first time the group has welcomed a foreign student to the town, and staff have helped Anna put together an exhibition of her findings.
"I have looked at stereotypical views of certain minority groups, in particular Muslims and members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, and the effects that negative views can have," Anna said.
Determined
"It has been a really interesting project — I have been out meeting members of the community and finding out from them how this affects everyday life."
Determined to find out how Llanelli residents view different cultural groups, Anna took to the town centre with a video camera to carry out random interviews.
"The interviewees have come from all walks of life, and the background information and interviews will be part of a film presentation at the event," Anna said.
"We were asking things like 'if I say the word Muslim, what is the first thing that comes to mind?'
"Some of the answers were surprising, and everyone has different opinions."
Anna's findings will be on display at Llanelli Town Hall, from 3pm to 6pm, on Saturday, September 1, and Paolo Piana, of Llanelli Multicultural Network, said he is looking forward to the event.
"We have a band coming who sing in Romany and a lady from Syria, who will give a presentation — there will be some fun stuff and some informative stuff," he said.
"It's the first time we have had someone come in for an internship with us, and we think it has been really successful."
The event will also feature live music from the Amigos, as well as a buffet, and if successful could form the basis for similar presentations.
"When town closes, all these youngsters come out with their skateboards," Paolo said. "We got talking to them and they said they are stereotyped in exactly the same way because of what they wear — we are now looking at doing some work with them."
To book a free place at the event, call the multicultural society on 01554 785954 or email laura.hancock@ cavs.org.uk or anna.toldo@cavs.org.uk
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Travellers with caravans set up camp in a Gipsy Hill park - London
From the Streatham Guardian
A group of Travellers with caravans set up camp in a Gipsy Hill park.
Their arrival in Long Meadow on Tuesday night came after Travellers, with about 30 vehicles including caravans, were moved on from Streatham Common.
It is not known if this is the same group or two separate groups.
On Tuesday evening, Travellers were moved on from Streatham Common, but left behind builders waste in a wooded area.
A Lambeth Council spokesman said: “We acted quickly to move them on with the police and they left at around 6pm yesterday.”
He added: “We are clearing up the rest of the builders waste as soon as possible.”
Police on Tuesday visited the lower part of the common and another area by the Rookery where the caravans parked.
Resident Ray Behan, out walking his dog on the common on Wednesday, said: “They weren’t a problem but I suppose community space should be for everybody.
“The police responded much quicker than last year.”
Marie Pratt, who helps out in the cafe by the Rookery, said the Travellers’ children had come in and out of the cafe.
She said: “They were no trouble at all for us. They were very well behaved.”
Streatham resident Philip Sidaway said: "I was just shocked about how quickly they appeared and the fact there was so much litter.
"I was pleasantly surprised by the police being there and being there so quickly."
Andrea Perry, vice chairman of the Friends of Norwood Park, said a group of travellers broke the lock on Long Meadow and set up camp there during Tuesday night.
She said: “They have already made a mess and have dogs running wild.”
A group of Travellers with caravans set up camp in a Gipsy Hill park.
Their arrival in Long Meadow on Tuesday night came after Travellers, with about 30 vehicles including caravans, were moved on from Streatham Common.
It is not known if this is the same group or two separate groups.
On Tuesday evening, Travellers were moved on from Streatham Common, but left behind builders waste in a wooded area.
A Lambeth Council spokesman said: “We acted quickly to move them on with the police and they left at around 6pm yesterday.”
He added: “We are clearing up the rest of the builders waste as soon as possible.”
Police on Tuesday visited the lower part of the common and another area by the Rookery where the caravans parked.
Resident Ray Behan, out walking his dog on the common on Wednesday, said: “They weren’t a problem but I suppose community space should be for everybody.
“The police responded much quicker than last year.”
Marie Pratt, who helps out in the cafe by the Rookery, said the Travellers’ children had come in and out of the cafe.
She said: “They were no trouble at all for us. They were very well behaved.”
Streatham resident Philip Sidaway said: "I was just shocked about how quickly they appeared and the fact there was so much litter.
"I was pleasantly surprised by the police being there and being there so quickly."
Andrea Perry, vice chairman of the Friends of Norwood Park, said a group of travellers broke the lock on Long Meadow and set up camp there during Tuesday night.
She said: “They have already made a mess and have dogs running wild.”
Action being taken to evict Travellers - Sussex
From the Mid-Sussex Times
A COUNCIL has started action to evict travelling families illegally parked on its land at Burgess Hill.
Mid Sussex District Council received many calls from local people complaining about the unlawful parking of about 35 motor homes and other vehicles on the field alongside Royal George Road end of Fairfield Recreation Ground. The families are believed to have moved northwards from a site in Brighton.
Officials from the district council visited the site yesterday (Tuesday) to assess the situation.
Police can only take action against the Travellers for any proven criminal activity and the council as landowner has to start the eviction process.
A district council spokesman said today (Wednesday): “We have served a notice of direction on the families asking them to vacate the site by 6pm”
A COUNCIL has started action to evict travelling families illegally parked on its land at Burgess Hill.
Mid Sussex District Council received many calls from local people complaining about the unlawful parking of about 35 motor homes and other vehicles on the field alongside Royal George Road end of Fairfield Recreation Ground. The families are believed to have moved northwards from a site in Brighton.
Officials from the district council visited the site yesterday (Tuesday) to assess the situation.
Police can only take action against the Travellers for any proven criminal activity and the council as landowner has to start the eviction process.
A district council spokesman said today (Wednesday): “We have served a notice of direction on the families asking them to vacate the site by 6pm”
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