Traveller crackdown
Reporter: LOBBY CORRESPONDENT
Date published: 23 March 2010
Councils must do more — Minister
COUNCILS must do more to tackle anti-social behaviour by gipsies and travellers which cost taxpayers thousands of pounds, the Government has warned.
Communities secretary John Denham said despite only a small minority of gipsies and travellers behaving anti-socially, communities believed they were not dealt with in the same way as other people.
He said no group should receive preferential treatment and agencies should work together to apply rules to gipsies and travellers to ensure any fines are paid or prosecutions if necessary brought. The warning came as part of new guidance on tackling anti-social behaviour being handed to councils and police, addressing policing, fly-tipping, noise, straying livestock and untaxed vehicles.
Mr Denham urged councils to use powers available to them, including ASBOs and injunction to deal with any unacceptable behaviour.
A department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “Everyone has the right to expect to live in neighbourhoods that are free from anti-social behaviour — whether its nightmare neighbours, aggressive gangs or mindless vandals.
“While much has been achieved there are still communities where such behaviour causes real misery. Everyone has responsibilities and rights and no one should receive preferential treatment.”
According to latest Government records, Oldham has 19 “not tolerated” gypsy caravans reported on private land. When the figures were published late last year, Oldham Council said it was just a snapshot of a wider problem.
Councillor Mark Alcock, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, said there were no authorised travellers’ sites in Oldham and this was an issue currently being looked at in consultation with the 10-member councils of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA).
He said unofficial sites at Haggate, Royton; Chadderton, Oldham Edge, Shaw, Mumps and Royton had caused considerable disruption to the local communities and cost the taxpayer thousands in clear up costs.
