Meanwhile in Hungary and in Rome

Hungary Roma battle far-right vigilantes

Vatican police clash with Gypsies on steps of basilica

What If They Said Jew?

"Racism of many kinds, including anti-Semitism, is alive and well. However, in the U.K., you generally won't find official institutions, mainstream politicians, or newspapers openly espousing blatantly racist sentiments -- unless it's racism against Gypsies, Travellers and Roma people: this is still a socially acceptable form of racism. This site allows you to look at articles and website about Gypsies, Travellers and Roma people through the lens of anti-Semitism.

If a Jewish person commits a crime, do the newspapers report it as a Jewish crime? Not likely, but this is routine for crimes committed by Gypsies and Travellers, leading to the perception that Traveller crime is rampant, even though there is no statistical evidence for this. Are there any other neighbourhoods, or housing estates, no matter how rough, where bulldozing the entire community is considered a reasonable response to the behaviour of a few individuals? No, and yet councils across the UK are trying to drive Travellers away, with the result that there is a lack of authorised Traveller sites. It is this racism which enables Basildon Council to set aside £9.2 million (more than a third of its budget) to bulldoze Dale Farm, home to approximately 1000 Travellers who purchased a disused scrap yard on which to build their community." 

http://www.jewify.org/

St.Day Gypsy and Traveller Women's Group Open Day.

last year's open day

In celebration of Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History Month, 2011, St.Day Gypsy and Traveller Women's Group are holding an open day.

Come along and meet the group, watch a few films, look at displays about Gypsy and Traveller life and culture, admire the women's art work and eat the buffet lunch!

Wednesday 15th June, 2011, Teyluva Children's Centre, St.Day, Cornwall. TR16 5LG. 

Exeter Tory Leader Call For Decision on Gypsy Site

"A councillor has called for an immediate decision over controversial plans for a Travellers’ site within a major housing development.  Yolonda Henson, leader of Exeter’s Conservative Group and chair of the city council’s planning committee, said it needed to end the uncertainty for people wanting to buy and sell their homes in the area.

Mrs Henson said: “There is no reason we cannot put a stop to this now.”

The decision by Exeter City Council to include Gypsy and Traveller provision off Old Rydon Lane in the city as part of the Newcourt development prompted a mass of objections from angry residents.

With a threat of legal action and a possible judicial review from Persimmon Homes hanging over its head, the council announced it would re-look at the issue in the autumn."

Exeter City Council threatened with legal action over Gypsy site bid

'You've nothing to fear,' Gypsies tell protesters

Vigilante Attack In Marazion

At around 1 am on Sunday morning six vans parked along the sea wall in Marazion had their tyres slashed.

Bid To Halt Race Hate Groups On Facebook

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition urging bosses at the social networking site Facebook to crack down on pages which incite racial hatred and violence towards the Gypsy Traveller community.

"The signatures, which have been sent to Facebook, the UK and Scottish Governments, the Council of Europe and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, were collected by Article 12, a group which supports Travellers.The organisation has already succeeded in removing 40 pages because of offensive statements."

Man In Court Over Anti-Traveller Facebook Page

"A man has appeared in court in relation to the alleged publication of racist material on the social networking site, Facebook. Patrick Kissane (27), of Knockasarnett, Killarney, Co Kerry, is accused of actions likely to stir up hatred. It relates to the setting up of an anti-Traveller Facebook page called 'Promote the use of knacker babies as bait'.

The site is understood to have attracted 664 fans before it was removed by Facebook last July following a number of complaints. If the case goes ahead, it will mark the first time that anyone has been brought before the courts for publishing online racism"

Arson Attack on Leeds Travellers Centre

Arson Attack on Leeds Travellers Centre
Investigation into an Alleged Hate-Crime on a Gypsy and Traveller Support Centre is Continuing.
POLICE are investigating a suspected arson attack at the Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange centre.

Alarms went off at 3.35am on Wednesday when reports of two separate fires were spotted at the Leeds GATE premises at Crown Point House, Cross Green Lane.

The Government funded centre offers advice, education, support and also has a cafe for people from the travelling community, living in the Leeds area.

Helen Jones, chief executive of Leeds GATE, said she and staff were in shock at news of the incident.

There were no occupants in the building at the time which has also suffered internal smoke damage as a result of the fire.

Investigations by the police and fire service into the cause of the fire are ongoing at the present time and detectives would like to hear from anyone who saw any suspicious activity at the front of the building in the early hours of this morning.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Stainbeck CID via: 0845 60 60 606.

 

Devon Council Returns £840,000 Gypsy Site Grant

"A Devon council has returned £840,000 to the government which it had been granted for a travellers' site. Torridge Council had earmarked a site at Derriton near Holsworthy for seven pitches, but said it halted plans after residents said they did not want it"

Consultation on New Gypsy and Traveller Planning Policy Starts Today

The government have today announced a twelve week consultation period for the draft Planning Policy Statement for Traveller sites. This new policy will replace circular 01/06: Planning for Gypsy and Traveller caravan sites and circular 04/07: Planning for travelling showpeople. Before these policies were put in place over 90% of planning applications for Gypsy and Traveller sites were refused at first hearing, compared to just 20% of non-Gypsy or Traveller applications. 

Here's what Eric Pickles has to say about his new proposals:

"The Government is committed to a better deal for both traveller and settled communities within the planning system. It is important that local planning authorities are given the freedom to plan for the future of their communities. However, the current planning policy for traveller sites does not work. There is a widespread perception that the system is unfair and that it is easier for one group of people to gain planning permission, particularly on sensitive Green Belt land. This creates resentment and damages community cohesion. In addition, the top-down housing and traveller site targets that were imposed on local councils set communities against development of all kinds.

A new approach is needed. The Government wants to see fair play in the planning system - everyone being treated equally and even-handedly. We will align planning policy for traveller sites much more closely with the policies for other forms of housing and in doing so will provide greater environmental protection. We will put planning for traveller sites back in the hands of local planning authorities - they are best placed to know the needs of their communities, not unelected regional bodies.

Our new planning policy for traveller sites sits within a broader package of reforms to decentralise the planning system, make it fair and return powers to local communities. Abuse of the planning system undermines faith in it and we will not tolerate this from anyone. Instead we will reward those who play by the rules. The Localism Bill introduced measures to limit opportunities for retrospective planning permission in relation to any form of unauthorised development, to increase the powers that local planning authorities have to enforce against a range of breaches of planning control and to ensure local planning authorities have greater accountability to the people they serve and that decisions are decentralised to the most local level possible. Our new planning policy for traveller sites also sits with a broader package of policies affecting travellers that are set out in this consultation document. Our new policy is fair.

In line with our broader planning reforms to streamline the planning system, the new policy is also a much shorter, clearer and less cumbersome document that will be easier for councils and members of the public to use effectively.

I look forward to reading your responses to the questions set out in this consultation."

The consultation document is available here.

No Justification For Forced Evictions

Early Day Motion 1729 proposed by St.Ives MP Andrew George:

 "That this House considers that there is no justification for the forced eviction of Gypsies and Travellers where no alternative lawful sites are available and residents seek to live in harmony; acknowledges that evictions leave many Gypsy and Traveller families with no secure accommodation and that the Office of the Children's Commissioner has recently expressed concern that the eviction of Gypsy and Traveller families poses a significant danger to the health, welfare and education rights of children; notes that 20 per cent. of Gypsies and Travellers living in caravans in England are legally categorised as homeless as they have no legal place to park their caravans and that, at the present rate of site provision, it will take up to 27 years to meet the current assessed need for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation; further notes that eviction is likely only to increase the incidence of unlawful encampments at a cost of 18 million each year for councils in England; and calls on the Government to encourage councils not to proceed with evictions until satisfactory and culturally appropriate alternative accommodation is identified and secured for Gypsy and Traveller families."

Put your MP to work - request they sign EDM 1729

Early Day Motions are very good ways of raising issues in parliament, which may not get debated in normal sittings of parliament.You can contact your MP for free, through: writetothem.com

Home Insurance for Gypsies and Travellers

 "Outlook is the first insurance package designed to protect the homes and property of the Gypsy and Traveller community. Travellers are discriminated against in many areas, despite such discrimination being illegal. Previously, the community has found it impossible to find household insurance. Outlook aims to provide its customers with quality coverage tailored to the needs of the community. Insurance will be subject to underwriting but will be available to all occupants of official sites, both municipal and private."

Outlook Home Insurance

Travellers in the dark over plot policies

At least 50 temporary traveller planning permissions expire in south Cambridgeshire this year, leaving communities facing uncertainty. 

Since the Housing Act in 2004 planning authorities have granted many Gypsy and Traveller applications only temporary permission, on the grounds that  local authorities would identify and develop more suitable sites as a result of the Act. Most LAs haven't done this so it is unclear what will happen when the temporary permissions are up.

"Traveller sites which currently have temporary consent are more likely to get permanent permission following a landmark decision, according to a planning chief.
John Koch, a boss in the development control team at South Cambridgeshire District Council, issued the warning as members said Gypsies, who set up camp illegally in Swavesey and were then given temporary authorisation, could stay for good."
 
[no one has "set up camp illegally" - they have bought land and applied for retrospective planning and been granted temporary permission. No law has been broken]

Localism Bill 2011

Localism or Nimbyism? Chris Johnson, from the Travellers Advice Team (TAT) and barrister Marc Willers on what the Localism Bill  means for Gypsies and Travellers (and it's not good news).

"The simple fact is that many Gypsies and Travellers, have had no option but to develop their own land without first applying for planning application because of the persistent failure by local authorities over many years to ensure an adequate provision of sites or to comply with the requirements in government circulars that they assist Gypsies and Travellers in identifying or developing their own sites. We fear that the proposed legislation in the Localism Bill will only make the provision of sites for Gypsies and Travellers even more difficult to achieve".

Gypsy Roads

Gypsy Roads is a new social networking site just for Gypsies and Travellers.

Creator Joey Smith says: “Gypsy Roads is a site were you can connect with other Gypsies and Travellers nationwide. It's for all Gypsies and Travellers to chat, make friends, share photos, videos and music. I've always been good with technology, mending people's phones and computers and I wanted to to something for my community.”

Joey has set the site up by himself, with the support of TravellerSpace.

Traveller wants to establish a site for families

New Traveller Mark Robinson gets closer to his dream of providing a secure and sustainable home for his family:
Traveller wants to establish a site for families
"Mr Tisdale's daughter Joanna who is also on the council, said: "I don't think there is anything we can object to."

Call for extra Gypsy and Traveller pitches in Somerset

Somerset needs an extra 295 pitches for gypsies and travellers by 2020, a study into the county's provisions has found.

Traveller and Gypsy site could be built in Plymouth as cash becomes available

A PERMANENT site for Gypsies and travellers could now be built in Plymouth after plans to create one in North Devon were scrapped.

BBC report

Welcome to TravellerSpace's new blog which will be mostly focusing on media coverage and news for Gypsies and Travellers, particularly in Cornwall and the South West.