'Hull City Council should be doing a lot more for travellers'
TRAVELLERS have hit back after being criticised for returning to a number of sites across East Yorkshire.
A number of permanent groups have settled on private land across the region due to designated sites being over-occupied.
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Travellers and their caravans on land off Priory Road, Hull.
An increase in transient travellers passing through Hull has also led to groups occupying land close to residential properties, which has provoked criticism from residents.
Lindsay Jones, co-ordinator at Developing Our Communities, which encourages sustainable development in local communities, said the council needs to provide more legal sites for travellers to occupy.
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She said: "Hull and East Yorkshire lack traveller sites and there are not enough provisions in place to cope with the demand.
"Prior to the sites in the East Riding being modernised, the facilities that were available to travellers were unacceptable.
"Sites are overcrowded and are far too expensive for what is provided for them."
A number of sites across the region have been recently developed but weekly rents have increased by as much as £35.50.
Ms Jones said: "The fee the council is asking for is outrageous for the service it is providing.
"Many travellers are looking to rent their own land because this offers better value for money but, again, the council is putting obstacles in their way when they should be encouraging travellers to buy land.
"Travellers don't want to pay extortionate rates to live on a slab of concrete and why should they? The rental fees can't justify that.
"The council should be doing a lot more."
Travellers have returned to a number of sites in Hull, including Priory Road and Haltemprice Road.
Rose Armitage, of Cottingham, said the council should provide alternative sites to cope with the demand.
The 61-year-old said: "The increase in travellers seem to come around in cycles and it seems to be down to travellers using the area as a stop off.
"I understand the council has provided a number of sites that travellers can use but there is obviously more needed in Hull.
"If they were provided with adequate facilities and a specific place to stay, I'm sure there wouldn't be half the worries there are now from residents."
Jane Price, Hull City Council's area director, said: "The council assesses the immediate health and welfare needs of travellers and works with local partners to meet any specific needs that arise.
"Along with partners, we do our best to balance the needs of travellers and those of residents.
"There are currently four permanent traveller sites across the city. However, we can not allow travellers to stay on land that we have not identified as appropriate and will take action where they are causing problems."
Residents close to areas where travellers have settled have aired their concerns over the amount of litter left on the sites and the loud noise in the evenings.
Ms Jones said the bad publicity travellers have received is often unwarranted and could be affecting the council's actions.
She said: "A lot of the complaints about travellers are completely false and far from the truth.
"Travellers seem to carry stigmas of being lazy, untidy and a threat to wildlife and property, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
"The authorities seem to be caught up with all of this and are looking for reasons to constantly move them on without offering an alternative."
Local authorities cannot evict travellers immediately but must first assess their welfare and comply with the Human Rights Act, while proving they own the land.
Comments
by Demonica666
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 9:24PM
“Lindsay Jones, co-ordinator at Developing Our Communities, which encourages sustainable development in local communities, said the council needs to provide more legal sites for travellers to occupy.
Yes Ms Jones, I bet you do. You will probably achieve one of your 'professional objectives' on your tick-box 'personal development review'. Wake up and smell the faeces Ms Jones! Either that, or take yourself off to a yarmulke somewhere, to learn poncho crochet and loom weaving. God save us from whackadoodle, hummus whisking, luvvies. Live next door to them love. Then tell us we need to spend even more on them. I'll give you 24hrs before you lose all sympathy.”
by beverleybard
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 5:14PM
“Agree with other contributors - we do not need more sites for these leeches on society, so that they can turn up, pillage and despoil the area and then move on at no cost to themselves. There is also too much red tape attached to council's treatment of them. They should live up to their names of "travellers" and keep travelling!”
by propforward08
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 4:08PM
“Tell you what Ms Jones why don't you let a couple of these "travellers" pitch up in your back garden for a couple of weeks and then come back on here and defend them.”
by Jamesmole
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 3:04PM
“"Travellers seem to carry stigmas of being lazy, untidy and a threat to wildlife and property, but that couldn't be further from the truth"
I walk my dog on Dent Road/Snuff Mill fields everyday and have seen first hand the mess they left. I have even taken photos which I have emailed to the council.
If they put all of the dirty nappies in the bin instead of burning the bins (which were obviously stolen from tax and rent paying people!) it would have been a lot cleaner! The trees in the field on Dent Road are full of dirty nappies, dirty loo roll and general waste. Then there are the piles of conifers and trees that have been dumped there which only appear around the time of the travellers.
Likewise the cycle track alongside the legal site at Bankside Park is littered with dirty nappies and empty gas cylinders!
I would not have a problem with the travellers if they had a little respect for the environment and cleaned their mess!”
by David_Nivea
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 3:01PM
“'Local authorities cannot evict travellers immediately but must first assess their welfare and comply with the Human Rights Act, while proving they own the land.'
Simply erecting signs on council-owned land stating this fact would be a cost-effective way of deterring illegal incursions.”
by LittleHobbit
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 11:06AM
“No, Lindsay Jones, we do NOT need to provide more sites for 'travellers'. The clue is in the word ..... t-r-a-v-e-l-l-e-r-s ... let 'em travel, they chose the life. If they want to change, get rid of the 4x4s, the caravans, the horses the multitudes of dogs and get on the housing list like normal folk. 'Travellers' can't have it all ways.”
by superdredge
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 9:28AM
“Lindsay Jones,are you one of them, rant over.”
by Zygmunt
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 9:14AM
“There are plenty of caravan sites around the country and if they joined the Caravan Club, they'd get a useful handbook with the sites listed therein. After all if they want to be treated like everyone else, they could consider behaving like everyone else... That's fair isn't it?”
by John2008
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 9:08AM
“Let them benefit only from their own contributions to society. Why should the rest of us have to pay our own way AND meet the cost of those who choose to live in this way?”
by Sirlaffalot
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 9:07AM
“It's not a coincidence that there has been an increase in 'Travelers' since the majority originate from Eire & the Emerald isle has tightened up their laws considerably in relation to these people and their unacceptable behaviour.
If they want to live within a settled community they should conform to the rules of that society and that does not include defaecating in public places; illegally racing ponies & traps on public roads, trespassing or any other of their other antisocial activities they claim is their right as a minority ethnic group.”