Travellers

Travellers' encampments should be reported to North Norfolk District Council's Environmental ProtectionTeam, so appropriate arrangements can be made for the benefit of the travellers and the local community. Tel: (01263) 516189 or 516301.

More information relating to Travellers is available on the Norfolk County Council web site and the following information has been extracted from the 'Travellers in Norfolk' leaflet produced by the Travellers Liaison Group in February 2003.

Travellers in Norfolk

Travellers are part of Norfolk life and always have been. They are not a single group and have different
places of origin, traditions and ways of travelling. Some return regularly to the same places, for work or to visit their family. This way of life can seem very different to people who choose to live in one place - and it sometimes leads to problems. These can usually be solved if we all respect each other's lifestyles and follow the law. In Norfolk, we have found some new ways of working together for everyone's benefit.

Traveller camps in Norfolk

There are five official camping sites with 106 pitches for vans. These sites are provided and managed by councils and have water and electricity supplies and toilets. They are at King's Lynn, Norwich (two sites), Swaffham and Great Yarmouth (a transit site). Travellers pay rent - up to £50 a week.

Travellers sometimes pull on to private land or the side of the road. People living nearby may want them to leave and often think that councils and the police can move Travellers on straight away. This is not true. Trespass is not a criminal offence and the landowner (whether it is private or public land) must decide whether to take legal action through the courts to have people evicted or removed. Some landowners don't mind Travellers using their land for a short stay, and many do leave after a few days. Otherwise, there are two main ways the owner of the land can get them to move on. These are:

A court order for possession of the land - it can take several weeks to get a court order. The court will only grant an order to the landowner if it thinks it is reasonable to do so, taking into account the effect of the camp on local residents and the effect of an eviction on the Travellers. The court may decide not to grant an order if there is no other place for the Travellers to go, particularly now that the Human Rights Act is in force.

Action by the police - the police may use Section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, if the landowner has already asked the Travellers to leave. The police can tell the Travellers to leave and not return within three months - or they risk being arrested. This usually only happens if the site is not suitable or if bad behaviour is linked to the camp. An unsuitable site may be a public park, for example, or somewhere which causes a problem for local business.

The government says the police have to enforce the law and keep public order. They must also take into account the needs and rights of the local community and the Travellers. Sometimes rubbish is left behind when Travellers move on. Councils clear this from public land but private landowners have to pay for waste collection services.

Working together
Councils, police, Traveller representatives, the health service and many others work together successfully in Norfolk and have set up a Traveller Liaison Group to bring all these people together. The Liaison Group has produced a Protocol (code of practice). This sets out who does what and how we work together. We also have a Traveller Liaison Officer for Norfolk,Tony Lakey, who meets with the Travellers and helps to make links with councils and other organisations.
When there is an unofficial camp, Tony talks to the Travellers and the landowner and also helps by getting rubbish skips for the site. Sometimes special meeting (case conference) is held, which brings together the
parish, district and county councils, the Travellers, health and education services to look at the needs of the Travellers and the local community.
Some Travellers have had an idea for a new system of bonds - they pay over a sum of money when they pull on to a site and get it back when the land is left clear and tidy. We are hoping to use bonds in Norfolk in the
future. Making Travellers move on from place to place all the time doesn't help - it just means more unofficial camps. This affects the Travellers as well, especially if they have health problems or children who go to school.
The government says there should be temporary short-stay stopping places for Travellers, as well as official sites. The best short-stay sites may be on suitable land which Travellers already use unofficially. In Norfolk we are trying to find about 20 of these stopping places, with the help of local parishes. This should mean there is less unofficial camping and fewer evictions.

Useful Contacts

Gypsy Council - 01708 868986
Norfolk County Association of Parish and Town Councils - 01953 851408
Norfolk County Council - 01603 222473
Norfolk Traveller Liaison Officer - Tony Lakey - 01603 222473
North Norfolk District Council - 01263 516189 / 516301
Police - 01953 424242
Traveller Education Service - 01603 766133
Traveller Health Services - 01603 738899