Déjà vu

The eviction of Gypsies and Travellers from the illegal site at Dale Farm in Essex in October 2011 grabbed national headlines for days. The following March, the Communities and Local Government department published planning guidance that aimed to prevent a repeat of such scenes by ensuring local authorities made adequate provision for Travellers.

Councils had until the end of March this year to assess the scale of demand and identify sites to meet this for at least the next five years. Yet, as we report today, in the south east and east of England, very few have done so. According to the regional spatial strategy for the east of England in 2010, 3,019 Traveller sites were needed by 2011 and an extra 1,038 by 2021 - it is unlikely this demand has disappeared.

The shortage of sites comes as the government is preparing to grant councils stronger powers to prevent unauthorised Traveller encampments. Last March, the CLG committed to review the progress of councils in providing Traveller sites. It must do so now, or a repeat of Dale Farm is inevitable.