Local Authority Gypsy/Traveller Sites in England
July 2003
Pat Niner Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, University of Birmingham
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: London Following the reorganisation of the government in May 2002, the responsibilities of the former Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) in this area were transferred to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Eland House Bressenden Place London SW1E 5DU Telephone 020 7944 4400 Web site www.odpm.gov.uk # Queen’s Printer and Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 2003 Copyright in the typographical arrangement rests with the Crown. This publication, excluding logos, may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium for research, private study or for internal circulation within an organisation. This is subject to it being reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the title of the publication specified. For any other use of this material, please write to HMSO Licensing, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ Fax: 01603 723000 or e-mail: [email protected]. This is a value added publication which falls outside the scope of the HMSO Class Licence. Further copies of this publication are available from: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Publications PO Box 236 Wetherby LS23 7NB Tel: 0870 1226 236 Fax: 0870 1226 237 Textphone: 0870 1207 405 Email: [email protected] or online via the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s web site.
ISBN 1 85112 650 3
Printed in Great Britain on material containing 75% post-consumer waste and 25% pre-consumer waste.
July 2003
Product Code 03HD01518 CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 9
Verbatim Quotations 10
Glossary 11
Executive Summary 13
1. BACKGROUND 15
The Research 15
Gypsies and Other Travellers 20
The Policy Context 32
Summary 40
2. LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND GYPSY/TRAVELLER ACCOMMODATION ISSUES 43
Overall Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Policies 43
Corporate Organisation 45
Land Use Planning 48
Private Site Provision 51
Social Housing 54
Managing Unauthorised Camping 59
Equal Opportunities and Human Rights 61
Summary 64
3. LOCAL AUTHORITY GYPSY/TRAVELLER SITES 66
The Sites Network 66
A Description of Gypsy/Traveller Sites 74
Condition of Gypsy/Traveller Sites 82
Other Perceptions of Site Quality 84
Summary 91
4. ORGANISING FOR SITE MANAGEMENT 94
Managing In-House and Contracting Out 94
Organisational Arrangements for Site Management 98
Site Management Staffing Issues 99
Summary 106 5. SITE MANAGEMENT 108
Site Occupancy 108
Aspects of Site Management Policies and Procedures 117
Summary 147
6. SITE FINANCES 150
Licence Fees 150
Other Charges 151
Housing Benefit and Local Reference Rents 152
Site Income and Expenditure 153
Gypsy/Traveller Views of ‘Rent’ and Other Charges 155
Summary 157
7. GYPSY/TRAVELLER ACCOMMODATION NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS 158
The Range of Accommodation Options and their Roles 158
Accommodation for Nomadism 175
Measuring Requirements for Sites 185
An Estimate of Need for Site Provision 189
Some Lessons for Site Design 192
Summary 201
8. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO SITE PROVISION 205
Obstacles to Site Provision 205
Some Suggestions for Overcoming Obstacles 207
Ensuring Sustainability of Provision 209
Summary 212
9. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 213
A National Approach to Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Issues 213
Action on the Existing Site Network 215
New Site Provision 217
Action to Overcome Barriers to Site Provision 222
Lessons for Site Management 223
Further Guidance and Support 228
Summary 229 APPENDIX 1: RESEARCH WITH GYPSIES AND OTHER TRAVELLERS 231
APPENDIX 2: PHYSICAL SURVEY INSPECTION SCHEDULE 234
REFERENCES 248 TABLES
Table 1.1: Accommodation Occupied by Gypsy/Travellers Interviewed in the Case Studies 18 Table 1.2: Regional Distribution of Gypsy Caravans January 2002 26 Table 1.3: Growth in Numbers of Gypsy Caravans on Authorised Sites in England: 1980-82, 1990-92 and 2000-02 32 Table 2.1: Changes in Numbers of Private Sites since 1994 and Expectations of Change over the Next Five Years 52 Table 2.2: Positive and Negative Features of Private Sites 53 Table 2.3: Site Quality Assessments for Commercial Private Sites 54 Table 2.4: Ranking of Problems Commonly Experienced by Gypsy/Travellers in Social Rented Housing 57 Table 3.1: Distribution of Sites and Pitches by Size of Site January 2002 68 Table 3.2: Distribution of Sites and Pitches by Date of Site Opening 69 Table 3.3: Distribution of Sites and Pitches by Region 71 Table 3.4: Effect of Changes to Pitch Numbers since 1994 72 Table 3.5: Problems in the Local Area: Comparison of Gypsy Sites and the English Housing Stock 75 Table 3.6: Thirty Year Maintenance/Improvement Expenditure Needs by Region 83 Table 3.7: Maintenance/Improvement Expenditure Needs by Region and Time Period 84 Table 3.8: Site Quality Assessments by Local Authority Personnel 85 Table 3.9: Perceived Reasons for Poor Site Condition or Maintenance 86 Table 4.1: Extent of Manager Responsibility for Different Aspects of Site Management: Management Contracted Out 95 Table 4.2: Which Tasks are Part of the Job of the ‘Site Manager’? 101 Table 5.1: Work Permitted and Occurring on Sites 120 Table 5.2: Factors Taken into Account when Allocating Pitches 126 Table 5.3: Proportion of Licensees Receiving Housing Benefit and in Arrears 129 Table 5.4: Extent of Visits to Sites by Service Providers 134 Table 5.5: Assessment of Sites on Management Factors 142 Table 6.1: Weekly Licence Fees on Residential Sites 151 Table 7.1: An Estimate of Need for Residential Site Pitches: 2002-2007 189 Table 7.2: An Estimate of Need for Transit/Mobility Pitches: 2002-2007 190 Table 7.3: Need for Further Provision of Accommodation for Gypsy/Travellers 191 BOXES
Box 2.1: Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Policies 43 Box 2.2: Corporate Organisation for Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Matters 46 Box 2.3: Examples of Corporate Organisation for Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Matters 47 Box 2.4: Gypsy/Travellers and Social Housing 55 Box 2.5: Human Rights and Equal Opportunities 64 Box 3.1: Firm Plans Affecting Number of Sites/Pitches 74 Box 3.2: Residential Sites and Infrastructure 78 Box 3.3: Provision of Communal Facilities on Residential Sites 79 Box 3.4: Facilities Provided in Amenity Units on Residential Sites 81 Box 4.1: Site Management Arrangements 95 Box 4.2: Contracting Arrangements for Site Management in Two Case Study County Councils 97 Box 4.3: Section/Department with Overall Responsibility for Gypsy/Traveller Site Management 99 Box 4.4: ‘Site Managers’ 101 Box 4.5: Examples of Organisation for Site Management Site 103 Box 5.1: Number and Age of Site Residents 112 Box 5.2: Licence Conditions 119 Box 5.3: Pitch Allocation Matters 125 Box 5.4: Responsive Repairs 128 Box 5.5: Licence Fee Collection and Arrears Recovery 130 Box 5.6: Housing Benefit Concerns in One Case Study Area 131 Box 5.7: Resident Consultation 132 Box 5.8: Perceived Site Management Problems 137 Box 6.1: Setting the Local Reference Rent for a Gypsy/Traveller Site 152 Box 7.1: Case-Histories of Three Housed Travellers 162 Box 7.2: Case-History of a Family on an Owner-Occupied Site 169 Box 9.1: Proposals for Activity Standards for Services to Travellers from Scottish Homes 227
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A large number of people contributed to this research, and I must thank them all.
• Officers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, especially Keith Kirby, Julie Lawrence and Tina Galton, were always extremely supportive.
• Colleagues at the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, Maggan Dahlstrom and Bruce Walker, carried out a number of the case studies, and Peter Lee provided the GIS map.
• Alan Hedges carried out the interviews with Gypsies and other Travellers and provided valuable analysis of this material.
• Martin Gladwin and his colleagues from FPDSavills undertook and analysed the physical survey of Gypsy/Traveller sites.
• Representatives of various bodies concerned with Gypsy/Traveller matters agreed to be interviewed and provided much relevant material.
• Local authority officers patiently responded to the questionnaires, and together with elected members and others participated in the case studies.
• Last, but by no means least, Gypsies and other Travellers agreed to take part in group discussions and provided valuable information and opinions.
My thanks to everyone who participated – and my apologies if I have not drawn all the right conclusions from the wealth of material provided. VERBATIM QUOTATIONS
Verbatim quotations from interviews with Gypsies and other Travellers appear at various points throughout this report.
They are identified by a particular form of presentation:
Verbatim quotations from interviews with Gypsies and other Travellers
I: ‘‘Question or comment by the interviewer.’’ F: ‘‘Comment by female participant; given an arbitrary number within a particular interview session’’ M: ‘‘Comment by male participant as above’’ (type of respondent/type of site)
The respondent types identified are:
Gypsy: English, Welsh or Scottish Gypsy Irish: Irish Traveller New: New (Age) Traveller
The types of sites identified are:
LA Local authority residential Gypsy/Traveller site Private Commercial residential Gypsy/Traveller site owned and managed by a non-local authority body Transit Transit site (local authority) Owner occ Site owned by the Gypsy/Traveller family living on it Housed In permanent housing Camped On roadside or other unauthorised encampment GLOSSARY
The following abbreviations, words and phrases are used in this report and may need some explanation.
Amenity block: Building housing one or more amenity units or sheds on a Gypsy/Traveller site.
Amenity unit: On most residential Gypsy/Traveller sites basic plumbing amenities (bath/ shower, WC and sink) are provided at the rate of one per pitch in small permanent buildings. Some amenity units also include a day room. Amenity units may be grouped into amenity blocks. Amenity units are commonly referred to by Gypsy/Traveller residents as sheds.
Bricks-and-mortar: Term commonly used in the report to refer to permanent, mainstream housing.
Caravans: Mobile living vehicles used by Gypsies and other Travellers. Also referred to a trailers.
CSA: Caravan Sites Act 1968
CSCDA: Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960
Day room: Some amenity units have a larger area where residents can eat or relax; this is normally referred to as a day room.
ECHR: European Convention on Human Rights
English Gypsy: Member of one of the main groups of Gypsy/Travellers in England. Romany Gypsies trace their ethnic origin back to migrations, probably from India, taking place at intervals since before 1500. Gypsies were recognised as an ethnic group in 1989.
Gorgio: Term sometimes used by English Gypsies to refer to members of the settled community (also Gaujo).
Group housing: A small scheme of permanent houses or bungalows specially designed to meet the needs of Gypsy/Travellers. Group housing was developed in the Republic of Ireland and has been introduced on a pilot basis in Northern Ireland.
GSRG: Gypsy Sites Refurbishment Grant – see below
Gypsies and other Travellers: Term used in this report to include all ethnic Gypsies and Irish Travellers, plus other Travellers who adopt a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle.
Gypsy Sites Refurbishment Grant: a challenge fund available between 2001/2 and 2003/4 providing financial help to improve and refurbish local authority Gypsy sites. In its third year the scheme has been extended to cover development costs of transit sites and stopping places.
HRA: Human Rights Act 1998 Irish Traveller: Member of one of the main Gypsy/Traveller groups in England. Irish Travellers have a distinct indigenous origin in Ireland and were recognised as an ethnic group in England in 2000.
LGPLA: Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980
Mobile home: Legally a ‘caravan’, but not usually capable of being moved by towing.
New Traveller: Term used here to refer to members of the settled community who have adopted a nomadic lifestyle. New Travellers are sometimes also referred to as New Age Traveller.
Pitch: Area of land on a Gypsy/Traveller site rented under licence to a single resident. Often referred to by Gypsy/Traveller residents as a plot.
Plot: See pitch above.
Residential site: A Gypsy site intended for long-term or permanent occupation by residents. No maximum length of stay is set.
Shed: Term commonly used by Gypsy/Traveller residents for an amenity unit housing bath/ shower, WC, sink and food preparation area.
Site: An area of land laid out and used for Gypsy/Traveller caravans. An authorised site will have planning permission (and a site licence if privately owned) for use as a Gypsy caravan site. An unauthorised site lacks planning permission.
Stopping place: An area of land identified for use by Gypsy/Travellers in transit; less formal than a transit site.
Trailer: Term used for mobile living vehicles used by Gypsies and other Travellers. Also referred to a caravans.
Transit site: A Gypsy site intended for short-term use by Gypsy/Travellers in transit. The site is normally permanent, while its residents are temporary and a maximum period of stay is usually imposed.
Unauthorised encampment: An area where Gypsy/Travellers reside in vehicles or tents without permission. Unauthorised encampments can occur in a wide variety of locations. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
There are around 320 caravan sites in England owned by local authorities. Specifically designed for Gypsies and other Travellers, they constitute a specialist form of accommodation provision, and make a significant contribution towards meeting the accommodation needs of Gypsies and other Travellers.
Between April 2001 and September 2002, the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham carried out a programme of research on the extent and quality of local authority Gypsy/Traveller sites in England on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
This research collected a large amount of information about Gypsy/Traveller sites, how they are managed and about future needs. Much of this information is new. The findings have already been published in summary form (Niner 2002), and are reported in full here. This executive summary briefly states the main conclusions of the research to be read in conjunction with chapter summaries.
• There is no clear, widely understood national policy towards accommodation for Gypsies and other Travellers in England; there is a general feeling that such a policy is needed involving local authorities and others but with a strong lead from central government.
• There are around 320 local authority sites providing about 5,000 pitches. It is important that the existing network is retained, and currently closed sites brought back into use. Expenditure in excess of £16.78 million is needed over the next five years to bring site to standard, and at similar or higher levels thereafter. Spending at this level cannot be met from site income.
• We estimate that between 1,000 and 2,000 additional residential pitches will be needed over the next five years. Between 2,000 and 2,500 additional pitches on transit sites or stopping places will also be needed to accommodate nomadism. The latter need to form a national network. There is little agreement about the feasibility and viability of transit sites. They are likely to be costly both to build and manage.
• There are obvious barriers to site provision, especially through resistance from the settled community. Many believe that a statutory duty and central subsidy are needed to ‘encourage’ local authorities to make provision. Treating site provision in the same way as housing for planning purposes could help.
• Site management is more intensive than is usual for social housing management and requires higher staff/resident ratios. It should be ‘firm but fair’. There are areas where greater formality might be introduced, including performance monitoring.
• The anomaly in the treatment of sites for housing benefit purposes according to site owner status should be removed as quickly as possible.
CHAPTER 1 Background
There are currently just over 300 caravan sites in England owned by local authorities, specifically designed for and occupied by Gypsies and other Travellers. They constitute a specialist form of accommodation provision developed since 1960, and make a significant contribution towards meeting the accommodation needs of Gypsies and other Travellers.
Between April 2001 and July 2002, the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham carried out a programme of research on the extent and quality of local authority Gypsy/Traveller sites in England on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (formerly Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions). This report of the findings presents information – as up-to-date and as comprehensive as possible – on the characteristics of sites and how they are managed. It also looks at the need for further provision and explores various accommodation options for Gypsies and other Travellers.
This chapter describes the objectives of the research programme and the methods used. It then sets the scene by briefly describing some of the most relevant characteristics of Gypsies and other Travellers and sketching in the policy context.
The Research Objectives
The research reported here was designed to inform the development of government policy by strengthening the evidence base and providing up-to-date and statistically reliable information on the size and condition of the current local authority Gypsy/Traveller sites network and the need for new site provision.
A number of research questions were posed in the original research specification. These can be summarised: a) The size of the local authority Gypsy/Traveller sites network, past changes and predicted trends. b) Demand and need for sites and other housing provision for Gypsy/Travellers and how those needs and demands can best be met. c) Obstacles to new site provision and ways of overcoming them.
15 Local Authority Gypsy/Traveller Sites in England
d) The standard and type of provision of local authority Gypsy/Traveller sites and improvements needed.
e) Site management, resident involvement and improvements needed.
f) Economics of site provision and the desirability/feasibility of a more business-like approach.
g) Government guidance on site conditions and management and the need to update it.
h) Ensuring the social, economic and physical sustainability of new provision.
i) The role of private site provision in meeting needs of Gypsy/Travellers.
The main focus of the research is on English local authority Gypsy/Traveller site provision, with an exploration of authorised privately-owned sites in so far as this informs estimates of need for new provision and ways in which Gypsy/Traveller accommodation needs might be met. The research brief also asked for an assessment of other approaches to accommodation provision for Gypsy/Travellers in western Europe, with special reference to ‘group housing’ as developed in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Research Methods
The complexity and scope of the research objectives demanded a variety of methods in order to collect the required information. The main elements are:
Initial Scoping Work Scoping work was planned to increase familiarity with the research requirements and to explore issues from a variety of stakeholder perspectives. It contributed to the development of other survey instruments. A literature review was carried out; most material scanned is cited under References at the end of this report. Scottish reports on site management and Traveller opinions proved particularly useful in developing the research design (Douglas 1997; Lomax et al 2000). In addition, a series of eleven semi-structured interviews was carried out with key players representing site owners (local authority, registered social landlord and private individual) and organisations representing Gypsies and other Travellers or with a particular interest in Gypsy/Traveller matters (ACERT; the Gypsy Council; Friends, Families and Travellers; London Gypsy and Traveller Unit; and the Traveller Law Research Unit).
Postal Survey to Local Authorities Much of the information about the type, number and management of sites was collected through a postal questionnaire survey to local authorities. In addition to providing comprehensive and consistent background information about local authority policies and practice on the provision of Gypsy/Traveller sites and answering some of the research questions directly, the results of the postal survey also helped in selecting sites for detailed survey and to act as case studies.
The questionnaire was sent to 385 English local authorities (both county and district councils) in late August 2001. Following postal and telephone/e-mail reminders, a total of 194 responses were received in time for analysis in early December 2001. While the overall response rate was
16 Background
only 50%, an excellent response by county councils (82%) and a 60%+ response rates from metropolitan districts and unitary authorities meant that the majority of the country was covered geographically, although London was significantly under-represented in the response. The majority of local authority Gypsy/Traveller sites were covered by the response (257 of the 328 sites included in the January 2001 DTLR Gypsy Sites Count, representing 79%).
Physical Survey The aim was to survey a sample of 100 local authority Gypsy/Traveller sites in order to assess their nature, quality, condition and repair needs. Six sites were surveyed to pilot the survey instrument. For the main-stage survey a total sample of 124 sites (94 main sample and 30 reserves) was selected using stratification to represent regional spread and type and size of site. Transit and mixed sites (a small minority) were over-sampled to increase their share in the final sample. Site owning local authorities were written to about the survey and asked to provide contact information to facilitate surveyors in locating and visiting sites.
The survey was carried out by FPDSavills, by the section specialising in planned maintenance and stock condition surveys, between 15 April and 19 July 2002. In total, including pilot sites, 107 sites were surveyed.
The survey schedule (see Appendix 2) was divided into sections: environment, site, pitch, amenity buildings and other site buildings. This was used along with a schedule of rates to collect condition and cost information, and to collect attribute data which provides a description of various aspects of sites, including quality/appearance and adequacy of provision. The survey data was input to a Microsoft Access database which was used to produce tables of required maintenance/improvement costs over a thirty year period. Attribute data was also provided to CURS who carried out further analyses using SPSS.
Site Management Survey A further postal questionnaire was sent to the owner of each of the sites sampled for the physical survey seeking more detailed information on site management, occupancy and finances. Seven questionnaires were completed at pilot stage and have been included in the analysis. A further 121 questionnaires were sent out at the end of February 2002 for all sites on the main and reserve sample lists for the physical survey. Following postal and telephone/e-mail reminders, a total of 97 returned questionnaires were analysed in mid-June 2002. Some of these were incomplete, but have been included in the analysis for the questions answered. The overall response rate was 76%.
Case Studies Ten case studies were carried out during the spring of 2002. The case studies were site-specific, with site-specific policy and practice being set within the wider context of all relevant local authority policies and approaches. Case studies involved the collection of documentary material and semi-structured interviews with a range of local authority personnel concerned with site provision and management, and in related fields of land use planning, housing and Traveller education. An elected member was interviewed in most case studies. The case studies were:
17 Local Authority Gypsy/Traveller Sites in England
• A large mainly residential site managed directly by a metropolitan borough council in the north of England.
• A residential site located in a rural area, owned by a county council and managed by a Gypsy organisation in the north of England.
• A residential site owned and managed by a unitary authority in the West Midlands.
• A residential site on the outskirts of a small town in the Eastern region, owned by a county council and managed by a district council.
• A residential site owned and managed by a county council in the Eastern region.
• A residential site in a rural location owned and managed by a unitary authority in the South West.
• A residential site in a rural location owned by a county council and managed by a commercial company in the South East.
• A residential site owned and managed by a unitary authority in the South East.
• A transit site owned and managed by a unitary authority in the South East.
• A residential site owned and managed by a London Borough.