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New approach could allow travellers to remain at ‘safe spot’ in south Warwickshire




By Andy Mitchell, Local Democracy Reporter

STRATFORD and Warwick district councils have been advised to allow travellers to stay on safe spots of land for short periods rather than trying to instantly move them on.

A negotiated stopping policy has been put forward by RRR Consultancy, independent researchers who were commissioned by the councils to assess accommodation needs for gipsies, travellers, show-people and those who live on boats.

The work was done to feed into the emerging South Warwickshire Local Plan, the document which will set out which land is used for development over the coming years.

The Stratford district has had a shortage of allocated sites for travellers for years and in the past has acknowledged that communities do not want the sites in their towns and villages.

It’s a problem the consultants could potentially solve.

The report was part of the process of creating new local plan.
The report was part of the process of creating new local plan.

A report said that the recommended policy involves “caravans being allowed to alight on suitable pieces of ground where the encampment does not cause any danger, problems or nuisance to its occupants or the local community for an agreed and limited period of time, and if necessary, with the provision of services such as water, waste disposal and toilets.”

Up to now, the councils have tried to accommodate such needs on allocated sites, something the report says they could do in addition to the stopping policy, but not instead of, stating that relying on dedicated sites only was “likely to be ineffective”.

Tony Ward, a senior planning officer at Warwick District Council, explained to both councils’ cabinets: “If a family is crossing our area and settles, for instance, on a highway verge, our officers go out and assess those particular circumstances. They will all be different but they will see if it is safe, whether there is any nuisance to people nearby and whether it can be tolerated for a few days, a short period.”

Noting it would be subject to a signed written agreement, Mr Ward went on to highlight the benefits of not instantly moving travellers on.

“What that does is move the problem onto somewhere else in your own district or a neighbouring authority, so this seems a more humane way of dealing with it,” he continued.

“It won’t work in every instance, it depends on the site characteristics, but the emphasis is on trying to look after their needs for a few days – we may even provide them with a wheelie bin to ensure things are kept tidy, things of that nature to work collaboratively with families.”

The research is only a recommendation and no policy changes have been put forward yet but Stratford district councillor Nigel Rock (Lib Dem, Bishop’s Itchington, Fenny Compton & Napton) described it as a “fundamental shift from previous years” and asked: “Has this approach been used successfully elsewhere?”

Mr Ward replied: “Yes, it has. There are instances around the country where it is seen to be working. The report recommends that we explore and move towards [this] because it can save the authority money in the long run if it is instigated properly, rather than ploughing money into formal sites.”



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