National Planning Policy Framework Cosultation

The Government is holding a consultation until 17 October on its draft National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework).

The Government is, therefore, asking what people think of the Framework.

It asking for:

* any views on any part of its draft Framework
* any views on the relationship between its draft Framework and its draft planning policy for traveller sites
* any views on its plans to put traveller site planning policy in the Framework.

If you have any questions, please call Paul Williams on 0303 44 41223.

Oral hearings - Traveller site planning policy and National Planning Policy Framework

To increase the accessibility of the consultation for those with poor literacy, they are organising oral hearings.

This means that those who would find it hard to reply to a written consultation can come and give their views at an oral hearing.

They are holding six hearings. These will focus on planning policy for Traveller sites in the context of the Framework.

These will be in the following locations on the following dates:

* London Wednesday 7 September 2011
* London Wednesday 28 September 2011
* Leeds Thursday 8 September 2011
* Birmingham Tuesday 13 September
* Bristol Thursday 15 September 2011
* Manchester Tuesday 4 October 2011.

They will confirm the time of these six oral hearings shortly and update their website.

If you want to come, please call Paul Williams on 0303 44 41223.

New Pitches for Plymouth

Plymouth council are pressing on with their plans to create 55 new pitches in the city despite a concerted anti-Gypsy campaign and having twice been turned down for government funding.

Concerns over Gypsy site

Council agrees plan for three permanent Gypsy sites in Plymouth

Porthtowan Traveller Site Granted Temporary Planning Permission

Cornwall planners look set to grant permission for a group of New Travellers to remain on a site on the outskirts of Porthtowan for the next three years.  

Councillor Mark Kaczmarek, the Cabinet member for housing and planning, called for more tolerance among the local community: "Mr Willey has already been evicted from several sites in the county. You can't keep moving people on. This a human issue and they need somewhere to stay. He has been living peacefully on the site with a family that has children."

"There's a lot of people that still say to me: 'Travellers don't pay taxes and stuff'.

Devon Romany Louise Broadway talks to the BBC about being a Gypsy working in a mainstream job.

"Right from the start I was like: 'I'm a Traveller by the way, if you don't like it you can lump it. If you don't say to anyone [that you're a Traveller] then they'll always think about the ones that they see in the press and the negative side of things”

Cuts Threaten Traveller Children's Schooling

An investigation by the Independent newspaper has show that more than a third of Local Authorities have scrapped or slashed funding for Traveller education.

127 out of the 152 local authorities in England provided data showing that 24 planned to scrap their Traveller education support team, while a further 34 had cut staffing levels. 20 councils refused to reveal projected staffing levels as they were "under review", "undecided", "unknown" or being "restructured".

Joint president of the National Association of Teachers of Travellers Linda Lewins commented: "I'm gobsmacked by the speed at which it has happened, I'm watching 20 years of hard work being pulled apart."