Council pleads for unity on traveller issue

The Green-led council in Brighton and Hove has pleaded with opposition parties to help them tackle the issue of travellers in the city rather than use it as a political football.

Council leader Bill Randall has issued a defiant response to Hove MP Mike Weatherley’s suggestion that travellers had been invited to the city by the Green Party.

The issue which has dominated the local political scene in recent months is hitting the headlines again after a large group of travellers arrived at Greenleas Park in Hangleton at the end of last week.

Cllr Randall

Action is being taken to remove the community from the park, but Mr Weatherley has been vocal in pointing the finger of blame at the present administration after Hangleton residents complained at the disruption they have faced in recent days.

However, in response, Cllr Randall said: “It’s a shame that the Conservatives are turning this important and emotional issue into a political football, rather than accepting our requests to work together to find a solution to this inherited problem. We reject the specious claims that Greens have invited travellers and gypsies to the city. Nevertheless, we welcome Mr Weatherly’s interest in this issue, but feel his time would be better spent lobbying the government to find a practical solution to this problem.”

Cllr Randall has stressed his party are following a national framework produced by the last Labour government and a local strategy produced by the last Conservative-led council.

He explained: “The shortage of permanent and transit sites for Travellers and Gypsies is a national problem, which Conservative and Labour governments have failed to address. As a result the burden and expense of dealing with unauthorised campsites has been pushed on to local authorities.

“In this context, Brighton and Hove City Council‘s Green administration has adopted a firm but fair policy to deal with the difficult issue of unauthorised campsites, which takes into account the needs and rights of the settled and travelling communities. It does so within a national framework produced by the last Labour government and a local strategy produced in 2008 by the last Conservative-led council.”

Since taking charge of the council the Greens have promised to deliver a permanent location for the travelling community, but as of yet no locations have been put forward by the administration.

Cllr Randall added: “Our search for a site with permanent pitches in the city continues. We aim to succeed where previous administrations have failed. We will also continue to work closely with the police to deal with anti-social behaviour. However, we can’t solve the problems alone. Robust national and regional policies and funding are needed to provide permanent and transit sites for all gypsies and travellers in the UK.”

Related Posts:

• Hove MP claims his ‘hands are tied by Greens’ on travellers
• Hove MP slams Greens for ‘lackadaisical policies’ on travellers
• Residents extremely angry over travellers, says Hove MP
• Public meeting to be held on Patcham traveller site proposal
• Travellers are making lives a misery, says Hove MP

Posted by Joseph Lewis on July 27, 2011. Filed under Brighton and Hove News,Brighton Politics,Conservatives,Council News,Featured,Green Party,Hangleton,Hangleton & Knoll,Latest News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry