Letter: Travellers Should Abide By The Rules

Published on: 5 Jul, 2013
Updated on: 5 Jul, 2013

From Godfrey Chapples

Everyone has a need for a roof over their heads. Most of us take the route of a permanent building to live in, which we rent or buy as our circumstances permit.

A person or group who choose to travel around should not expect special treatment and must abide by current rules and regulations.

However, until the authorities in all areas of England and Wales make available some of the derelict airfields, decontaminated brownfield sites and areas adjacent available holiday home sites it must be a stringent rule that all and any travellers and gypsy persons have to find their own place of abode via local authority housing waiting lists.

Perhaps the time has come to bring discipline to bear on this dreadful situation that stains our society. A non toleration of travellers and gypsies in all green belt locations is vital. A task force, if not already in being, must identify the many locations referred in the paragraph above and keep to a new rule of conduct i.e. “You will live only where you have a permitted use of the land or buildings. Until that time you must live in prescribed sites only.”

The Government process now being identified by Eric Pickles must be allowed to continue until every piece of land has been considered for housing the permanent needs, and perhaps the less permanent needs, of the people who reside and travel throughout our wonderful rural countryside and urban environments.

In the meantime we must all keep to the rules that pertain and offenders must be punished accordingly.