AS many people will know this year we have seen many unauthorised encampments in very many areas in Somerset, some in the usual places such as the car park in Burnham-on-Sea, Bridgwater Victoria Park, and others where new places have been found to camp on - writes Gill Slocombe, leader of the Conservatives on Somerset Council.
This situation cannot go on, we have responsibilities to this group, as with any other groups in the county to provide acceptable and accessible accommodation.
At the present time we are not providing this for those Gypsy and Travellers who are travelling through or visiting the county.
Without this provision, we are not meeting our responsibilities, contributing to community tensions towards this group and incurring ongoing costs for the council that will continue until something is put into place.
The way forward is to provide a dedicated temporary provision for Gypsy and Travellers in Somerset, without the usual excuses of no land availability.
I raised this last week at the Somerset full council meeting to ask for an agreement to determine how this can be funded and how we can support this going forward.
We need to ensure that that Gypsy and Traveller pitches are part of the Council’s Affordable Housing Plans and the sooner the better.
Without this dedicated area for travellers, the cost will fall on Town Councils to try and remove them with court orders etc, with the ongoing cost on trying to secure vulnerable areas where they are not welcome.
No one should be allowed to rock up and place themselves on unauthorised land.
If you or had a caravan and we placed it on a farmers land or a car- park, the police would swiftly move you and me on, so if we can secure a more authorised site so that when travellers come back for funerals or other stops, they can do so with the agreement of the council and harmony of local residents.
I am hearing you shouting, why should they have a designated place to stay, the answer is we all have choices, and Travellers and Gypsies have rights, but unless we get something in place that is effective, the tensions will increase time after time, and you and I will continue paying for it.
Yes I know we have tried before, but it needs to be done with proper legalisation in a proper areas.
So, any farmers or land owners who have some land available who want to sit down and discuss this before we all become so paranoid it will be very welcomed.
