Too many councils are failing to make proper provision for Gypsies and Travellers

A significant number of councils are failing to meet targets for Gypsy and Traveller sites, a charity has revealed.

Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) has published a report which revealed numerous cases of local authorities failing to make adequate provision.

The FFT research showed that many councils had missing targets set by the Department for Communities and Local Government, which require them to identify a supply of “deliverable sites” for the next five years.

A total of 66 Freedom of Information (FoI) requests were sent out earlier this year, but only 10 of the councils contacted were able to demonstrate that they had taken clear steps to identify appropriate pieces of land.

A spokesman for the charity said the situation demonstrates that the Government’s attempts to create more authorised sites for Gypsies and Travellers were failing to bear fruit.

“Our research clearly highlights the mechanism to ensure more sites for Gypsies and Travellers are provided in the immediate future is not working,” they said.

“In the meanwhile Gypsies and Travellers continue to be evicted from one place to the next.

“This has a huge impact on Gypsies and Travellers and means families cannot access healthcare, education and other services. These chronically excluded communities become even more vulnerable as a result of the constant cycle of evictions.”

At Lester Morrill, our solicitors are highly experienced in working with the Roma and Gypsy Traveller community and have acted in a number of high profile cases across the country, including Dale Farm and Meriden. To find out more about how our Public Law team can assist you, please contact us today.