Still time to comment on plans for Gypsy and Traveller ...
Members of the public from across the region, including Gypsies and Travellers, still have time to respond to the consultation on proposals to tackle the shortage of caravan pitches for the Gypsy and Traveller community in the region. This is part of the Government's commitment to ensuring an affordable place to live for all. It is being co-ordinated by the Government Office for the East of England (GO-East) on behalf of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
An event on Wednesday March 13 targeted local authorities that are responsible for planning authorised pitches for the 4,229 Gypsy and Traveller caravans in the region. Of these 1,140 are currently on unauthorised pitches. The event, held in Ely, provided an opportunity for local authorities to hear directly from the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) about their recommendation that each of the region's 48 local authorities should provide at least 15 additional pitches.
Members of the Gypsy and Traveller community were invited to an event at the Government Offices in Cambridge on Wednesday 19 March, to hear more about the proposals and how they can make their views known. They were updated on progress to date, and the process that GO-East are currently engaged in prior to finalising the proposals in 2009.
Tim Freathy, Acting Deputy Regional Director of GO-East said:
"It is important to engage with the Gypsy and Traveller community on this issue which directly affects their future in the region. We need to ensure that their views are heard and the event today gave the community an opportunity to hear about the consultation and how they can contribute. By providing enough authorised sites to meet people's needs we can reduce unauthorised encampments and help to end friction with settled communities."
Gloria Buckley, a member of the Gypsy and Traveller community in the East of England, took part in the event. She said:
"Today's meeting is a milestone for the Gypsy and Traveller community. It has been a difficult process to get this far, to get the proposals on paper, and now we need to take the next steps. I would like to encourage the community to stand up and have their views counted.
"Gypsies and Travellers, like every other community, need somewhere to live. The East of England is a large region - over 7,300 square miles. Shortage of space is not an issue; what we have had is a shortage of understanding. I hope that today's event and this consultation process will begin to break down the barriers that have existed for too long."
The plans for additional Gypsy and Traveller caravan pitches are part of a single issue review of the East of England Plan (Regional Spatial Strategy) and follow two years of research and consultation with local authorities, businesses, voluntary organisations, the public and Gypsies and Travellers.
The East of England Plan provides a clear, agreed, long-term vision for how the region will provide jobs and homes for its residents until 2021 and beyond. It is the framework for putting into place the Government's growth agenda within the region and ensuring that growth is sustainable. The adequate provision of homes and affordable housing to accommodate the needs of different communities, is a vital element of the Plan.
(MORE)
An event on Wednesday March 13 targeted local authorities that are responsible for planning authorised pitches for the 4,229 Gypsy and Traveller caravans in the region. Of these 1,140 are currently on unauthorised pitches. The event, held in Ely, provided an opportunity for local authorities to hear directly from the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) about their recommendation that each of the region's 48 local authorities should provide at least 15 additional pitches.
Members of the Gypsy and Traveller community were invited to an event at the Government Offices in Cambridge on Wednesday 19 March, to hear more about the proposals and how they can make their views known. They were updated on progress to date, and the process that GO-East are currently engaged in prior to finalising the proposals in 2009.
Tim Freathy, Acting Deputy Regional Director of GO-East said:
"It is important to engage with the Gypsy and Traveller community on this issue which directly affects their future in the region. We need to ensure that their views are heard and the event today gave the community an opportunity to hear about the consultation and how they can contribute. By providing enough authorised sites to meet people's needs we can reduce unauthorised encampments and help to end friction with settled communities."
Gloria Buckley, a member of the Gypsy and Traveller community in the East of England, took part in the event. She said:
"Today's meeting is a milestone for the Gypsy and Traveller community. It has been a difficult process to get this far, to get the proposals on paper, and now we need to take the next steps. I would like to encourage the community to stand up and have their views counted.
"Gypsies and Travellers, like every other community, need somewhere to live. The East of England is a large region - over 7,300 square miles. Shortage of space is not an issue; what we have had is a shortage of understanding. I hope that today's event and this consultation process will begin to break down the barriers that have existed for too long."
The plans for additional Gypsy and Traveller caravan pitches are part of a single issue review of the East of England Plan (Regional Spatial Strategy) and follow two years of research and consultation with local authorities, businesses, voluntary organisations, the public and Gypsies and Travellers.
The East of England Plan provides a clear, agreed, long-term vision for how the region will provide jobs and homes for its residents until 2021 and beyond. It is the framework for putting into place the Government's growth agenda within the region and ensuring that growth is sustainable. The adequate provision of homes and affordable housing to accommodate the needs of different communities, is a vital element of the Plan.
(MORE)
Labels: Caravan Pitches, Gypsy, Travellers, UK
posted by Allie @ 11:27 AM
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