Council will fund traveller liaison role

Chichester District Council is to take £50,000 from its reserves to fund a gypsy/traveller liaison role.

The money was approved during a meeting of the cabinet on April 16. Tracie Bangert, cabinet member for communities & well-being, said there was ‘an identified need’ for such a role. She added: “There are a number of outcomes which we would hope to achieve by having this role, including reducing tensions between the settled community and the gypsy/ traveller community.”

A report to the cabinet said council officers regularly received complaints about the gypsy/traveller community ‘causing anti-social behaviour and fear within the settled community’.

And, on the other side of the coin, they were aware that gypsies and travellers were subject to discrimination, which goes largely under-reported. As well as reducing tensions, the aim of the role will be to provide a link between all council services and the transient population, engaging with them on key issues such as health and well-being, planning and licensing. It will also be a point of contact for the police, the county council and the gypsy/traveller community to raise issues and share information.

Mrs Bangert said: “It would develop and maintain relationships within the gypsy and traveller community and identify gypsy and traveller leaders to facilitate improved communications between their community, the settled community and [the council].”

She added the role would be ‘culturally sensitive’ and that recruiting the right person would be ‘imperative’. The role will be looked at after two years to see whether it has achieved its aims.