'Fairer deal' for Gypsies and Travellers
The communities secretary has given greater security to Travellers and Gypsies on authorised sites but stronger powers to councils to tackle unauthorised developments.
Eric Pickles announced a ‘fair deal’ for the travelling community saying those on authorised local authority sites who abide by their pitch agreement will have the same rights as other social tenants.
Campaigning groups have been worried the scrapping of regional spatial strategies, which means councils can determine the need for pitches in their areas, will mean fewer sites are built.
Mr Pickles also announced councils will get financial benefits for building authorised sites where they are needed.
But he added: ‘Unauthorised developments have created tensions between travellers and the settled population. We want to redress the balance and put fairness back into communities.
‘We will strengthen the powers that councils have to enforce against breaches of planning rules and tackle the abuse of the planning system.’
The government will also scrap circulars giving separate planning rules for Travellers meaning they will now be the same for all.
The Communities and Local Government department said councils had complained these circulars meant they had to build on countryside and compulsorily purchased land.
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Readers' comments (3)
Alpha One | 01/09/2010 9:52 am
They should do away with a certificate of lawful use thereby enabling the planning system to be circumvented. Instead anyone who has built in breach of planning should be made to apply for full planning permission and building regs, but the fees should be doubled, and they should have to pay a fine equivalent to 20% the increase in the value of the property attributable to the work or £20k whichever is the higher sum.
I recognise you can't have a planning system that prejudices gypsies because the ECHR will tear it apart, but we can have a system that is weighted in favour of the honest person and punishes those who flout the laws.
To avoid the system getting home owners who simply don't realise, the permitted developments order should allow extensions to existing buildings of any description provided it does exceed the boundary of the property, it does break any legal rights of light or air, and building regulation approval is obtained. That way you could build an extension and not worry about planning, but you could erect a new property or station a temporary home on a site without applying for planning first.
If a planning application is not received within 7 working days of the breach, and all fees paid within 14 working days, including the fine, the Council will have the power to remove the offending construction without compensation to the owner or need for a court order.
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Alpha One | 01/09/2010 9:52 am
They should do away with a certificate of lawful use thereby enabling the planning system to be circumvented. Instead anyone who has built in breach of planning should be made to apply for full planning permission and building regs, but the fees should be doubled, and they should have to pay a fine equivalent to 20% the increase in the value of the property attributable to the work or £20k whichever is the higher sum.
I recognise you can't have a planning system that prejudices gypsies because the ECHR will tear it apart, but we can have a system that is weighted in favour of the honest person and punishes those who flout the laws.
To avoid the system getting home owners who simply don't realise, the permitted developments order should allow extensions to existing buildings of any description provided it does exceed the boundary of the property, it does break any legal rights of light or air, and building regulation approval is obtained. That way you could build an extension and not worry about planning, but you could erect a new property or station a temporary home on a site without applying for planning first.
If a planning application is not received within 7 working days of the breach, and all fees paid within 14 working days, including the fine, the Council will have the power to remove the offending construction without compensation to the owner or need for a court order.
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Sidney Webb | 01/09/2010 10:12 am
Will Pickles also be ruling to ensure that suficient authorised sites are operated - if not then the policy is flawed.
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