Traveller Inquiry
All those who live in a community should abide by its laws. That was the message I gave to Mrs Ruth Mackenzie, the Inspector, when I was invited to speak on behalf of local residents at the Dale Farm traveller inquiry in August. However, local residents and many people waiting on the council’s housing list believe there is one law for the travellers and another for the settled community.
At the inquiry, I explained that allowing travellers who have speedily and illegally developed Greenbelt land to remain on these sites would be wrong both in principle and in practice. It would both reward travellers for unlawful behaviour and send out a signal that our Greenbelt is up for grabs.
No one is looking to discriminate against a minority, but neither should a minority be given special exemption from local planning laws. Thousands of people are waiting patiently on the council’s housing list, and so allowing the travellers at Dale Farm to remain on Greenbelt land would be equivalent to letting them jump the queue.
I told Mrs Mackenzie that, in my view, only a twin-track approach will resolve this problem. Firstly, to accommodate legitimate traveller needs, all councils should be obliged to provide authorised sites where there is demand and for which an honest rent can be charged. Secondly, councils also need much stronger powers to deal with the minority of travellers who break the law.
For its part, the Government has completely failed to address these issues. Ministers repeatedly refuse to accept my invitation to meet local residents and discuss their concerns. Meanwhile, the Government’s proposal to move the Cray’s Hill travellers to Terminus Drive, Pitsea is completely ridiculous – and against the wishes of local people.
Basildon District already provides over 100 authorised traveller sites, while some neighbouring districts have none at all. It’s time for others to do their bit. This would be the beginnings of a long-term solution to the traveller dilemma, but extra provision must be coupled with much stronger powers to enforce the law.
Wolverhampton connection?
One argument against requiring the travellers to move on is the idea that they have nowhere else to go. However, as the Echo uncovered over the summer, some of the local travellers may have already got somewhere to fall back on.
I have asked the Government to launch an urgent investigation into allegations that local travellers have connections with council housing in Wolverhampton. Clearly, if true, this would make a mockery of the ongoing public inquiry into Dale Farm. The police and the Planning Inspectorate should also be involved in this investigation, which goes well beyond Basildon Council’s remit.
