Who are Gypsies and Travellers?

The Gypsy and Traveller community in England and Wales is composed of Gypsies and Irish Travellers and other Traveller groups such as New Travellers. There are said to be 90-120,000 nomadic Gypsies and Travellers but according to some as many as a further 200,000 of Gypsy and Traveller ancestry are living in housing. The exact figure is difficult to estimate as their numbers are not recorded at present in census records.

The Issue

During the post-war period as a result of increased development and changes in the law, Gypsy and Traveller families, many of whom, were forced off the land they owned, found it increasingly difficult to find stopping places, this brought them into greater conflict with the settled non-Traveller community.

In 1968 the Caravan Sites' Act placed a duty on local authorities to establish sites for the Gypsy and Traveller community. Provision only began to grow rapidly with the allocation of 100% grants from central government in 1980 following the recommendation of the Cripps Commission.

In 1994 the then Conservative government introduced the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, which released local authorities from the duty to provide sites and has led to a reduction in provision, as some sites have closed and the Gypsy and Traveller community has grown. Gypsies and Travellers were told that a 'level playing field' would exist and they were advised to buy their own land. However, over 90% of the planning applications are refused as opposed to 20% for the sedentary community.

It is now estimated that over 30% of the Traveller community live on unauthorised sites, having nowhere to stop they are sometimes forced to occupy public places. Some of these cause great inconvenience for the housed population. The poor living conditions, which homeless Gypsies and Travellers endure has a negative impact on their health and access to services. The British Medical Association has reported that the Gypsy and Traveller community is the most at risk health group in the UK. They have the lowest life expectancy and the highest child mortality rates in the UK. A lack of stopping places also has a disruptive impact on Traveller children's education. Furthermore, Ofsted has recognised that many Traveller pupils suffer from relentless bullying at school and have low levels of educational achievement and high rates of illiteracy.

The costs of dealing with unauthorised sites was estimated to be £18 million per annum in 2002 (At What Cost, Clements and Morris, 2002). It is believed that the cost is now much greater. This is an unsustainable use of resources. We strongly believe that such resources would represent 'best value' use of money by being spent on the provision of more Gypsy and Traveller sites.

How Gypsies and Travellers were left short of land for campsites

They have been demonised by the tabloids as a threat to every village in Britain, but rhetoric frequently obscures the facts in the debate about Gypsy accommodation

Patrick Barkham
Tuesday March 22, 2005
The Guardian

Why is there a problem now?

There is a shortage of Gypsy and Traveller sites. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates there is a need for 4,500 extra pitches in England and Wales. Faced with this shortage, Gypsies have created their own unauthorised sites, lacking planning permission. These have infuriated some communities, triggering a rash of negative media coverage.

How widespread are unauthorised camps?

There are an estimated 120,000 Gypsies and Travellers in the UK. Not all live in caravans. In July last year, the government counted 15,014 caravans in England and Wales. Most (10,777) are on council-run or legal private sites. Just over a quarter are on unauthorised sites (1,855) or roadside verges (2,409).

There could be as many as 370 unauthorised camps across England and Wales, ranging from single caravan pitches to large sites such as Crays Hill in Essex.

What has caused the growth of unauthorised sites?

· Rise in number of Gypsies and Travellers. In 1979, the government counted 8,358 Gypsy caravans in England and Wales. By last year, there were 15,014.

· Decline in number of council pitches. Legislation introduced by the then home secretary, Michael Howard, in 1994 overturned the 1968 Caravan Sites Act, which obliged local authorities to provide sites. Instead, Circular 1/94 was issued, recommending that councils identify land Gypsies could buy and use.

Without a legal duty to provide camps, the number of council pitches has fallen.

· Gypsies want to settle down. Most Gypsies now find it hard to lead a nomadic life. Tougher laws mean police move them on from roadsides and seasonal farm work has dried up. They want semi-permanent camps and an address - but not ordinary housing - so they can get a doctor and send their children to school.

Are Travellers given preferential treatment?

No. Planning experts say it is difficult to find suitable sites under existing planning laws. Sites near villages are judged to spoil local amenity, while remote sites that require car ownership are judged "unsustainable". More than 90% of Gypsy and Traveller planning applications are refused and two-thirds of appeals fail.

Where does the Human Rights Act come in?

Concern over Gypsies using the Human Rights Act to prolong their unauthorised camps is misplaced. Article 8 allows planning inspectors to take into account the interests of the settled community. According to Donald Kenrick, a planning advocate, there has only been one case in Britain where a council approved a site because it believed it was obliged to under human rights law.

What is the solution?

Small sites of up to 15 pitches work best, meaning 300 new authorised sites are needed to replace unauthorised and roadside encampments. A joint statement by villagers and The Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform Coalition last year called for the reintroduction of the statutory duty forcing councils to find sites. The government is offering £8m in 2005-06 to help councils maintain sites and set up new ones.

The Tories are proposing to prevent Gypsies submitting retrospective planning applications and prolonging unauthorised camps through appeals. Tougher enforcement may calm villagers' fears but it will not solve the site shortage.