Traveller site expansion in the pipeline
SIXTEEN illegal encampments by gypsies and travellers have been made in Halton since January.
The figure has been revealed as part of a report informing the health policy and performance board reviewing the Halton Gypsy Travellers Allocations Policy 2017-18.
The report said Halton Borough Council (HBC) owns and operates three traveller accomodation sites in the borough.
These include Riverview in Widnes and Canalside and Transit Site in Runcorn, which have 23, 12, and 14 pitches respectively.
Two private sites on Windmill Street and Bigfield Lodge in Runcorn also have planning permission.
The 16 unauthorised encampments made in the borough since January were mainly in Runcorn, the report said, and both the council and police developed a joint protocol ● to tackle them which became effective from the start of May.
The report said: “The protocol covers Gypsies and Travellers and other travelling ethnic groups who have a nomadic lifestyle for all or part of the year.
“The purpose of this protocol ‘unauthorised encampment’ relates only to trespass by Gypsies and Travellers on land they do not own as opposed to ‘unauthorised development’, where Gypsies and Travellers are developing land they themselves own, or with the permission of the landowner, without the necessary planning permissions.
“The aim of this protocol is to ensure an effective, efficient, fair and consistent approach to the management of unauthorised encampments.
“It takes into account the reasonable needs and expectations of both the settled and travelling communities; and enables the public sector partners to undertake their statutory responsibilities.”
Provisional figures included in the report envisage creating 25 more pitches in Halton between 2013 and 2028.
The report’s author wrote that it is estimated 20% of travellers live on unauthorised sites and that there are issues on both public and private ones nationally.
The report added: “In practice, HBC has a number of duties and responsibilities which impact on the lives of Haltom’s population including Gypsies and Travellers: education, public health, community safety, and equalities and social cohesion in all aspects of service provision.
“Halton is recognised as having a good standard of gypsy and traveller sites.
“In exceptional circumstances HBC allows temporary and extended stays on its transit site for Travellers who need emergency care or who have life threating illnesses and do not have a place to live and access health services.”
Councillors will discuss the report at a meeting at Runcorn Town Hall on Tuesday, November 28.
