Gypsy Sites 'Should Be Central Part Of Tackling Housing Crisis'

Providing Gypsy and Traveller sites should be made a central part of tackling the UK’s housing crisis, a new report says. Managing and delivering Gypsy and Traveller sites: negotiating conflict, published today by CIH on behalf of JRF and De Montfort University, argues that more must be done to ensure Gypsies and Travellers have access to sites and that providing attractive sites is cost-effective and should be an essential part of housing provision. It makes 12 key recommendations on how the current lack of sites can be addressed. Download the report from the CIH website.

Tories Will Promise New Powers to Evict Gypsies

The Conservatives are to unveil tough measures to deal with illegal gypsy encampments, including setting up special magistrates courts that can order evictions on weekends and during the night, a Cabinet minister has indicated. Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, said that the issue of travellers occupying land “requires attention as soon as we get a Conservative government re-elected”. It is understood the Conservatives could pledge to appoint specialist magistrates who sit at short notice and out of hours so that councils can get rid of travellers. Senior Conservative MPs want the party in its manifesto to announce plans to create a new criminal offence of trespass. Read more on the Daily Telegraph website.

Pickles 'Breached' Green Belt Gypsies' Human Rights

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles "unlawfully discriminated" against Romany Gypsies wanting pitches in the Green Belt, the High Court has ruled. A judge said human rights were breached by "calling in" cases normally considered by planning inspectors. The ruling is likely to affect other members of the travelling community. Mr Justice Gilbart said Mr Pickles was operating a legally flawed policy of "recovering" for his own consideration appeals by travellers who claim there are exceptional circumstances for allowing them Green Belt sites. Read more on the BBC website.

Pickles Slammed For 'Inhumane Treatment' Of Gypsies & Travellers

Eric Pickles has been slammed for his "inhumane treatment" of Gypsies & Travellers. Labour representatives Lucy Anderson MEP and Tom Copley of the London Assembly have claimed that new legislative proposals from Pickles' will take away fundamental human rights from Gypsies & Travellers by insisting that those who live in a fixed residence - whether out of choice or because of reasons of health, education or old age - will permanently lose their Gypsy or Traveller status. According to Anderson and Copley, the legislation will have knock on effects on the number of people who are officially recognised as members of the Gypsy and Traveller community and as such will impact on the provisions made by local authorities for these communities. Read more on 24dash.

Councils Must Protect Our Precious Green Belt Land

Eric Pickles and Brandon Lewis have said that thousands of brownfield sites are available for development, and should be prioritised.  New guidance, published on 6 October, reaffirms how councils should use their Local Plan, drawing on protections in the National Planning Policy Framework, to safeguard their local area against urban sprawl, and protect the green lungs around towns and cities. The guidance explains that, once established, green belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional cases, through the preparation or review of the Local Plan. It also states that housing need – including for traveller sites – does not justify the harm done to the green belt by inappropriate development. Read more on the CLG website.

Landowners 'Blackmail' Communities into Accepting House Building

Landowners are blackmailing communities into accepting house building by threatening to hand sites over gipsies and travellers, Tory MPs have claimed. There were warnings that traveller groups can ‘acquire highly lucrative planning rights’ which are not available to other people in order to develop land. Ministers insisted that gipsies and travellers deserve the same rights as anyone else but conceded action is needed to ‘ensure that everybody is treated equally’. During a Westminster Hall debate, MPs complained of ‘massive abuse’ of the system which sees some people become very ‘wealthy’ by claiming to be a traveller and acquiring land. Read more on the Daily Mail website.

Residency Test For Allocations Would Be Illegal

A proposed residency test for social housing allocation would be illegal under EU and discrimination legislation, lawyers have warned. In a CLG consultation, the government has proposed ‘strongly encouraging’ local authorities to adopt a two year residency test for allocating housing. But the Housing Law Practitioners Association said the need to house EU citizens, Travellers, asylum seekers and out-of-area homeless applicants would make this provision illegal. The HLPA also raised concerns over a suggestion that homeless foreign nationals should be encouraged to reconnect with their home countries. ‘These proposals raise obvious issues under both EU Law and domestic anti-discrimination law,’ the response said. Read more on Inside Housing.

Pickles: Greater Freedom for Councils to Prevent Unauthorised Traveller Sites

Councils would be given greater freedom to stop unauthorised traveller sites being set up under proposals announced by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.  The proposals would allow councils greater freedom to choose when to use 'Temporary Stop Notices' in relation to caravans which are used as main residences and are in breach of planning control. This would be backed up with the potential for heavy fines. Under the current system councils are constrained as to when they can use powers against caravans which are main residences. It is the Government's view that local councils are best placed to judge whether to use a Temporary Stop Notice in relation to caravans, and should not be constrained by blanket rules.  Read more on the CLG website.

Travellers: Caravan Sites – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding his Department provides to local authorities to assist with the costs of creating temporary Traveller sites.

Andrew Stunell: Temporary and transit Traveller sites are eligible for funding under the £60 million Traveller Pitch Funding programme administered by the Homes and Communities Agency. A total of £3.15 million was allocated in January 2012 for this purpose.

Tackling Inequalities for Gypsy and Traveller Communities

Government commitments to tackle ingrained inequalities and promote fairness for Gypsy and Traveller communities have been unveiled by Communities Minister Andrew Stunell in a new report.  The progress report by the Ministerial working group on tackling inequalities experienced by Gypsies and Travellers contains 28 measures from across Government that will improve outcomes for Gypsies and Travellers across education, health, accommodation, employment and in the criminal justice system.  Gypsies and Travellers experience, some of the worst outcomes of any ethnic or social group including: below average educational attainment; above average rates of miscarriage, still births and neo-natal deaths; and widespread discrimination and hostility.  Download a copy of the report from the CLG website.

New Planning Policy Bans Travellers from Green Belt

Travellers are to be banned from living on Green Belt land under new plans published by Local Government Minister Bob Neill as part of new traveller site guidance.  The new policy – separate from the National Planning Policy Framework - puts the provision of sites back into the hands of local councils, in consultation with local communities.  The Government says it has launched the policy to protect the countryside, stating that Traveller sites are "an inappropriate development on Green Belt land".  Mr Neill said the new planning policy would help ensure fair treatment of travellers while “respecting the interest of the settled community”.  Read more on the CLG website.

HCA Announces Funding For 600 New Traveller Pitches

Thirty-three housing associations, local authorities and other providers are set to deliver around 600 new traveller pitches, after the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) named successful organisations for Traveller Pitch Funding. A total of £47m funding will be allocated to 71 projects around the country, and will support the provision of new traveller sites and new pitches on existing sites, as well as the improvement of existing pitches. A further £13m remains available from the Traveller Pitch Funding Programme for additional allocations where schemes are progressed and are able to deliver, and provide good value for money. These will be operated on a rolling basis under which offers will be considered for their value for money, deliverability and meeting local need, as they are developed. Interested providers should contact their local HCA area office to discuss their proposals. Read more on the HCA website.

Battle Highlights Funding Black Hole for New Traveller Sites

Millions of pounds intended for new Gypsy and Traveller sites have been diverted to other projects, a move described as shocking by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The Gypsy and Traveller Sites Grant, launched in 2008, had £97m available to "reduce the number of unauthorised sites" and "reduce the need for costly enforcement action". But only £16.9m has been spent. A lack of ring-fencing has meant millions being channelled into affordable homes not intended for Gypsies. "Given that the lack of Traveller sites is central to the Dale Farm problem, it is shocking that millions have been taken away that should have been used for site provision and other projects," said Simon Woolley, a commissioner with responsibility for Travellers, at the EHRC. The Homes and Communities Agency told the Guardian that £15m from the grant was allotted to "unfunded commitments in other programmes" within the National Affordable Homes Programme. Read more on the Guardian website.

Councils to Set Traveller Site Goals

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has published revised planning rules on Gypsy and Traveller sites. Under the proposed guidelines local authorities would be expected to set their own targets for site provision, in line with assessments of local need, rather than following goals prescribed by central government. The planning policy statement, which will replace Circular 1/2006: planning Gypsy and Traveller caravan sites and Circular 04/2007: planning for travelling showpeople, also makes it clear the development of sites in the green belt is not appropriate. The government wants to crack down on unauthorised Gypsy and Traveller sites, and Mr Pickles warned councils to be ‘particularly vigilant over the extended royal wedding and Easter weekends’. Read more on the CLG website.

Benefit Reforms Could Halt All Payments

Charities have warned the proposed universal credit system could result in families losing all their benefit payments while one component is re-calculated if a family’s circumstances changed. Carers UK told the work and pensions select committee a family might lose its housing benefit while another part of the overall payment was being calculated. Family Action said the government should keep the conditions on which each benefit is paid ‘separate within the system’. The Building and Social Housing Foundation, also warned a move from paying housing benefit through councils to a national system would mean there was a loss of local knowledge when it came to claims from Gypsy and Traveller groups and hostel residents. Read more on Inside Housing.

Pickles Dismisses Traveller Site Goal

The communities secretary has said the Labour government’s goal of addressing the lack of sites for Gypsies and Travellers was ‘unrealistic’. He said the coalition government will adopt a more ‘balanced approach’ that cracks down on unauthorised sites, but incentivises local authorities to introduce mainstream provision. The Labour government had an aim to ‘increase significantly the number of Gypsy and Traveller sites in appropriate locations with planning permission in order to address under-provision’ by 2011. The current administration has said it will scrap the planning circular that contained this target. Read more on Inside Housing.

Consultation on Implementing the Mobile Homes Act 1983 on Local Authority Gypsy and Traveller Sites: Summary of Responses

During the passage of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 through Parliament, CLG held a number of events across the country with both local authorities and Gypsies and Travellers to explain the provisions of the Mobile Homes Act 1983, and to seek feedback on applying them to local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites. The feedback from these events helped inform the consultation paper Implementing the Mobile Homes Act on local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites. This document sets out amendments to the terms of the 1983 Act and other transitional arrangements that will apply to local authority and county council gypsy and traveller sites when section 318 is brought into force.  Download a copy of the summary from the CLG website by clicking on the logo below.

Stunell: Rights for Travellers Who Play by the Rules

As part of a new fair deal for travellers and the settled community, Communities Minister Andrew Stunell today outlined plans for improved tenancy rights for travellers on authorised council sites.  Following consultation, legal changes are set to be made that will mean that those travellers who play by the rules will get more protection against eviction, putting them on an equal footing to those living on other residential caravan sites or in council houses.  At the same time councils will be able to take swift action against any travellers who flout the rules of their tenancy agreements and they will be able to obtain possessions orders with less risk of legal challenge. Councils will also be able to safeguard pitches for travellers who cannot afford to pay for a private pitch and who might be otherwise forced to camp on unauthorised sites, by not allowing tenancies to be automatically passed on when a caravan is sold or given to family members.  Read more on the CLG website.

Pickles Reveals 'Fair Deal' Plans for Travellers 'Who Play By the Rules'

Travellers 'who play by the rules' will get the same rights as other mobile home residents and could benefit from more authorised sites under plans announced by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles. At the same time, top-down Whitehall planning rules on travellers will be scrapped. Under Mr Pickles' proposals, travellers on official local authority sites will benefit from changes to legislation that will give them the same rights and responsibilities as residents on other mobile home sites. And travellers who abide by the terms of their pitch agreement will have greater protection against eviction, and have the same rights and responsibilities as other social tenants. The Government has also announced that councils will get financial benefits for building authorised sites as part of the New Homes Bonus scheme to deliver new housing. In addition, the Government will allow councils to decide for themselves how many traveller pitches are necessary in their area according to local need and historic demand. Read more on the CLG website.

Gypsy Sites Budget Cut After £15m Underspend

The Homes and Communities Agency spent just under 5 per cent of its £32 million Gypsy and Traveller Sites grant last year. In May, communities secretary Eric Pickles announced that the budget for the programme this financial year - also £32 million - was to be scrapped altogether. Inside Housing has discovered that of the budget for 2009/10 only £1.5 million was spent and £15 million was diverted to the national affordable housing programme. Although £17 million was allocated to 21 councils for 90 new pitches last year, the HCA has still to spend £15.5 million of that. Read more on Inside Housing.