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Five sites are needed to house travellers (From Basildon Recorder)
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Five sites are needed to house travellers
5:00am Monday 6th July 2009
BASILDON Council would need to build at least five new traveller sites to meet proposed caravan pitch numbers by 2011.
Regional targets for the East of England, expected to be finalised this year, say the district needs 62 new caravan plots to accommodate travellers living on illegal pitches.
A response to the Department for Communities and Local Government’s latest consultation says sites would have to be built on green belt because of lack of other land.
It states: “The allocation of 62 pitches would result in a minimum of five sites having to be identified in the district.”
The council already has 116 legal pitches while some neighbours such as Southend, which is being asked to create 15, has none.
Basildon still hopes to challenge the levels.
The response added: “The council maintains its challenge to the methodology of distribution and considers the suggested figure is still very high.
“The prospect of identifying such a high number of sites across a very small district is such that the deliverability of the target is severely in doubt.”
However, the response accepts the council will have to provide new pitches to cater for growth in existing authorised plots at the rate of a 3 per cent annual increase.
Grattan Puxon, a campaigner for the travellers, said: “We hope the council sees sense and accepts it must provide the 62 pitches when the common sense solution would be to allow people at Dale Farm to remain where they are to meet this quota.”
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Your Say Your Basildon
Deadjim, Billericay says...
7:53am Mon 6 Jul 09
The Echo should provide a link to the full text of council's response.
Readers will then see the facts and form their own view on the strength of the council's rejection and the reminder to Mr Puxon that the Secretary of State has accepted the principle of redistribution away from Basildon.
xSherryx, says...
8:31am Mon 6 Jul 09
Why? the majority of them have homes elsewhere, why do the Council 'need' to do anything? why are they obligated to find them homes? Oh and I love the statement 'sites would have to be built on green belt land' kind of defeats the object wouldn't you say lol
shallotman, Basildon says...
10:23am Mon 6 Jul 09
Happy Hammer, Basildon says...
11:37am Mon 6 Jul 09
Sir Henry Rawlinson, Rawlinson End says...
12:05pm Mon 6 Jul 09
11:37am Mon 6 Jul 09
I'm interested by all these prejudice comments here. It's like going back to 1960's America. What the travellers need is their own Martin Luthor King
Ho hum. While no doubt Mr Puxon would be delighted to take on the MLK role, maybe the 'travellers' interests would be better served by someone who could advise them on the law of the land they have chosen to live in and to realise that they are illegally ocupying green belt land.
Yes, there is no doubt that some postings in the past have blurred the line between anger and racism, however, these people (the 'travellers') have to realise that they quite simpy shouldn't be there and that they are giving the genuine travellers a bad name.
bumper, sorry its not my town or village says...
12:13pm Mon 6 Jul 09
YE WAS JUST WAITTING FOR THIS ONE
GET THE SCUM GONE STILL ANT GOT THE GUTS I SEE .
THERE IS 1000S WHO NEED HOUSES BUT DONT SEE YOU SORTTING THEM OUT YOUR COWARDS THATS ALL .
Vernon Carter, Basildon says...
5:04pm Mon 6 Jul 09
Happy Hammer wrote:confusing and somewhat detrimental comparison is'nt it?
I'm interested by all these prejudice comments here. It's like going back to 1960's America. What the travellers need is their own Martin Luthor King!
MLK stood for equality and the rights of a sidelined element of society to exist as equals alongside the rest of society.
The convicted terrorist Grattan Puxon wants to perpetuate a community that promotes illegal homes and special rights beyond those of the settled dwellers,whilst protecting the dubious nature of the obvious wealth of those communities.
Perhaps the convicted smuggler and 'Gypsy' council spokesman Richard Sheridan could be your new 'MLK' figure.Thats if he's not on one of his many holidays at her Majesty's pleasure.
basboy, basildon says...
8:12pm Mon 6 Jul 09
xSherryx, says...
8:15pm Mon 6 Jul 09
Vernon Carter wrote:Well said Vernon
Happy Hammer wrote: I'm interested by all these prejudice comments here. It's like going back to 1960's America. What the travellers need is their own Martin Luthor King!confusing and somewhat detrimental comparison is'nt it? MLK stood for equality and the rights of a sidelined element of society to exist as equals alongside the rest of society. The convicted terrorist Grattan Puxon wants to perpetuate a community that promotes illegal homes and special rights beyond those of the settled dwellers,whilst protecting the dubious nature of the obvious wealth of those communities. Perhaps the convicted smuggler and 'Gypsy' council spokesman Richard Sheridan could be your new 'MLK' figure.Thats if he's not on one of his many holidays at her Majesty's pleasure.
perini, Leigh on Sea says...
1:47am Tue 7 Jul 09
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Soozie, Southend on sea says...
7:22am Mon 6 Jul 09
You mean you have't started packing yet? Might want to start today - you'll soon be booted out.