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GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING UNAUTHORISED CAMPING BY GYPSIES/TRAVELLERS
CHAPTER 3 MANAGING UNAUTHORISED CAMPING
- Local authorities, the police and other partners should work pro-actively
to manage encampments to minimise the disruption caused; facilitate access
to services for Gypsies/Travellers and to keep all parties informed of decisions
and actions.
- To facilitate integrated management of sites and unauthorised camping, officers
should have information about vacancies on sites in their own, and neighbouring,
areas. Site turnover at any short-stay stopping places should be maintained
if these sites are to contribute to the management of unauthorised camping.
Local authorities should consider keeping a record/log-book of all unauthorised
encampments, which will facilitate sharing of information, noting behaviour
at the site, as well as information about numbers etc.
- A pro-active approach to managing unauthorised encampments involves keeping
encampments under review. Police and local authorities should be prepared
to re-assess their decision if circumstances change. The fact that an encampment
has been allowed to remain for a period does not preclude eviction proceedings
being started at a later date, provided proper procedures have been followed.
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Box 7: we would like to hear about examples of good practice in pro-actively
managing unauthorised encampments.
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GYPSY/TRAVELLER BEHAVIOUR AT ENCAMPMENTS
- This may include setting out standards for the encampments in a Code of
Expected Behaviour, which should apply the same standards, responsibilities
and obligations as would be applied to members of the settled community. Examples
of unacceptable behaviour could include:
- Large encampments, which by their very size can have a disproportionate
effect on the immediate area
- Aggressive or threatening behaviour towards local authority staff, the police,
officers of other public bodies or members of the public
- Failure to control dogs and other animals
- Persistent noise which disturbs others, particularly at night
- Littering or fly-tipping on or near the site, which causes a build up of
rubbish which is unsightly, hazardous to health and expensive to clear
- Damage to the immediate or surrounding area
- Criminal activity by the campers
- A basic principle in establishing such a Code is to ensure that the same
standards are applied to Gypsy/Traveller communities and to the settled community.
It is important to tackle unacceptable behaviour towards encampments by members
of the settled community.
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Box 8: we would like to hear about examples of good practice in developing
Codes of Expected Behaviour and the methods used for/difficulties in
developing them and/or communicating the wider strategy to Gypsies/Travellers.
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DEALING WITH CRIME AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
- Dealing with criminal behaviour is the responsibility of the police and
no group should be above the law. Anti-social behaviour, by and towards Gypsies/Travellers,
can also arise at unauthorised encampments.
- Unauthorised encampments can be subject to abuse/vandalism by the settled
community. There may be issues about community safety to take into consideration.
To ensure that there is a point of contact for Gypsy/Traveller groups, it
is recommended as good practice for police forces to nominate specific Gypsy/Traveller
Liaison Officers whose role it would be to establish links with Gypsies/Travellers
and ensure that the Travelling community (settled or travelling) benefits
from all of the services of the police enjoyed by the community as a whole,
which includes support and guidance on community and personal safety matters,
home security, how to report incidents to the police, racist incident monitoring
etc.
DEALING WITH WASTE DISPOSAL AND FLY-TIPPING
- Accumulations of rubbish and waste represent one of the most common problems
associated with unauthorised camping. They can be unsightly, hazardous, smelly
and costly to clean up. Prevention of waste, as well as action to remove it,
should be one of the elements in a policy of pro-active management of encampments.
- Local authorities should supply plastic sacks and arrange regular collection
of rubbish. The use of skips or wheelie bins might also be appropriate in
some locations. It might also be useful to discuss what form of toilet provision
the local authority might be able to assist with. Regular monitoring visits
to the encampment may help reinforce the message about keeping the site clean
and tidy. These could be cost effective ways of reducing the need to spend
large sums on cleaning up sites.
- It is an offence to drop litter or leave waste on land that is not licensed
for waste disposal. Local authorities should ensure that Gypsies/Travellers
are at least made aware of the nearest Civic Amenity Site facilities for disposing
of their waste.
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Box 9: we would like to hear from any local authority that has a strategy
in place for managing fly-tipping on unauthorised encampments.
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FACILITATING ACCESS TO SERVICES
- Local authorities should facilitate access to services by Gypsies/Travellers
during the period of their stay, particularly health, education and welfare
services. As part of this process, the local authority should also ensure
that appropriate welfare enquiries are made.
KEEPING PEOPLE INFORMED
- It is important that all agencies/departments, Gypsies/Travellers and members
of the settled community are kept informed about what is happening, both in
terms of the wider policy and with individual encampments. It would normally
be the local authority, in its role as the lead agency in dealing with unauthorised
camping, who would co-ordinate communications with the public and the press.
- Gypsies/Travellers should also be clearly informed about what is expected
of them and what is going to happen. Information should be provided in an
appropriate format.
- Any encampment is likely to be of concern to local residents and businesses.
Local authorities may wish to consider briefing elected members about encampments
in their areas, so that they can handle queries from their constituents.
SITE PROTECTION
- Protection of land vulnerable to unauthorised camping is a valid part of
a strategy. Local authorities can take appropriate action to protect their
own land and can advise private landowners how best to secure their land.
However, site protection can have the effect of forcing Gypsies/Travellers
to camp in other, more prominent, unsuitable land. Experience and practice
suggests that the police and the courts, when deciding on an appropriate course
of action, may consider what steps have been taken to prevent unauthorised
encampments in areas where there has previously been a problem.
MASS GATHERINGS
- This would usually cover family gatherings, for bereavement/celebration
purposes, and traditional gatherings. Ideally, Gypsies/Travellers should give
the local authority some advance notice of these events, so that preparations
can be made, in conjunction with the local police, for managing the gathering.
This could include waste disposal, a water supply and portable toilets.
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Box 10: we would like to hear from consultees with experience of dealing
with mass gatherings and whether this is a particular issue in Scotland.
How should ‘mass gathering’ be defined?
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