‘The stereotypical view presented by the media is largely inaccurate’ say Traveller groups as nearly 100 unauthorised sites are uncovered in Havering

Police at the car park where travellers have forced the closure of Tesco at Gallows Corner (Image: Archant)

Newly-released data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and local government shows that, in July, the majority of the 133 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller caravans in Havering were situated on unauthorised sites.

In total, 93 caravans were on sites which did not have the required planning permission to set up an encampment.

Of the unauthorised sites, two were declared to be not tolerated by local authorities, meaning active efforts were being made to move them on.

Not tolerated sites include those where a planning enforcement notice has been served, or where an injunction has been sought against the encampment.

Police at the car park where travellers have forced the closure of Tesco at Gallows Corner (Image: Archant)

The total number of Traveller caravans in England has increased steadily over recent years.

There were more than 22,600 in July, an increase of more than 5,000 over a decade.

A minority of Traveller caravans, slightly more than 3,000, were on unauthorised sites.

Jim Davies, from the Traveller Movement, said the figures showed that the stereotypical view of Travellers painted by the media was not reflected in reality.

Travellers have forced the closure of Tesco Extra in Rainham (Image: Archant)

He said: “Certainly, the stereotypical view of Gypsies and Travellers on village greens and children’s football pitches presented by the media is largely inaccurate.

“Not only do close to 80 per cent of Gypsies and Travellers live in bricks and mortar accommodation, but of those unauthorised caravans counted at the last caravan count, more than two thirds were on Gypsy or Traveller-owned land.”

Mr Davies added that it was important that “policy makers and researchers consider the whole Gypsy and Traveller population, instead of the minority”.

Of the 40 authorised caravan sites in Havering, 24 were on sites for which permanent planning permission had been granted, and 16 had temporary planning permission.

Travellers on Salamans Way in Rainham (Image: Archant)

A Havering Council spokeswoman said that the majority of travellers in the borough have been on long-established sites that they own and which are situated away from local communities.

They said: “Although they don’t have permanent planning permission they have been granted temporary planning permission by the Government.

“These sites are different to illegal encampments, which often cause fly tipping and antisocial behaviour and which we are working closely with police and landowners to clamp down on.”

Local authorities in Leeds have recently trialled a system of ‘negotiated stopping’, which has been hailed as a success by Traveller groups.

Travellers at the derelict Pompadours pub are causing concern for local residents (Image: Archant)

It involves the council negotiating a code of conduct with the Travellers and Gypsies living on roadside camps, and providing water, waste disposal and portable toilets until the Travellers move on at an agreed date and time.

It is estimated to have saved the council thousands of pounds in legal fees.

But Cllr Simon Blackburn, of the Local Government Association, said that local authorities have a duty to uphold the law when illegal encampments are set up.

He said: “Councils are committed to ensuring that their local communities are safe, inclusive and welcoming. They also know that the vast majority of travellers are law-abiding citizens and often contribute much to the communities they stay in.

“However, when encampments are clearly breaching the law and causing concern and inconvenience to communities, local authorities have a duty to take action to ensure the law is upheld, which they do working alongside the police and the court system.

“With local authorities facing a shortfall of £7.8 billion by 2025, councils can ill afford to have to recover the significant costs of removing illegal encampments and the associated clean up costs.

“There are also instances of some encampments continuing for prolonged periods of time which can have a significant impact on local communities, with councils and private landowners often incurring costs from evicting trespassers.”