Hull Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment

84 Pages·2007·1.56 MB·English

Hull Gypsy and Traveller
Accommodation Assessment

By

Lisa Hunt, Phil Brown and Andy Steele
Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit
University of Salford

April 2007
1
About the Authors

Lisa Hunt is a Research Fellow at the Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit
(SHUSU) at the University of Salford.

Phil Brown is a Research Fellow at the Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit
(SHUSU) at the University of Salford.

Andy Steele is Professor of Housing & Urban Studies and Director of the
Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit (SHUSU) at the University of Salford.

Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit is a dedicated multi-disciplinary
research and consultancy unit providing a range of services relating to
housing and urban management to public and private sector clients. The Unit
brings together researchers drawn from a range of disciplines including: social
policy, housing management, urban geography, environmental management,
psychology, social care and social work.

Study Team

Core team members

Dr Lisa Hunt
Dr Philip Brown
Professor Andy Steele

Steering Group

Lesley Alderson-Speight – Housing
Elaine Bates – Developing Our Communities (DOC)
Kathleen Guthrie – Traveller Education Team (TET)
Steve Ibbetson – Equalities
Florence Liber – Planning
Andy Lowthorpe – Gypsy Liaison Service
Alastair McCluir – Equalities
Bill Spink – Housing

Community Interviewers

Mandy Allen
John Mercer

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Acknowledgements

This study was greatly dependent upon the time, contributions and expertise
of a number of different individuals and organisations, without whom the
research could not have been completed. Members of the project Steering
Group provided guidance and assistance throughout the project. Particular
thanks goes to Elaine Bates, Steve Ibbetson and Andy Lowthorpe.

We are greatly indebted to Dennis Blanchard and Kathleen Guthrie for their
help with the fieldwork and locating willing participants, Mandy Allen and John
Mercer for their work as Community Interviewers, and Hull GATE for their
support.

We are also grateful to officers from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council for
their participation in the project.

Last, but by no means least, special thanks goes to the many Gypsies and
Travellers in Hull who found time to talk to us and answer our questions in a
full, honest and patient manner. It is hoped that this report accurately reflects
their needs and experiences.

This report is based on research undertaken by the authors and the analysis
and comment does not necessarily reflect the views of Hull City Council or
any participating researchers, stakeholders and agencies. The authors take
full responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions.
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Contents

About the authors 2
Acknowledgements 3
List of Tables, Figures & Maps 6
Glossary 7
List of acronyms 8

Chapter 1: Introduction 9

1.1 What constitutes need for Gypsies and Travellers? 10

1.2 The study brief 10

1.3 Outline of the report 11

Chapter 2: Research Methodology 13

2.1 Stage 1: Collation and review of existing secondary information 13

2.2 Stage 2: Consultation with key stakeholders 14

2.3 Stage 3: Engagement with Gypsies and Travellers 15

Chapter 3: Background: Learning from Previous Studies 17

3.1 Acknowledging and defining diversity 17

3.2 Health 19

3.3 Education 19

3.4 Less talk, more action: Research fatigue in Hull 20

Chapter 4: Gypsies & Travellers in Hull 23

4.1 Establishing the size, trend and characteristics of the Gypsy and Traveller
population 23

4.2 The survey sample 27

4.2.1 Key characteristics 27

4.3 Authorised site provision 30

4.3.1 Bankside 32
4.3.2 Wilmington 37
4.3.3 Bedford Street 40
4.3.4 Newington 42
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4.4 Unauthorised encampments 45

4.5 Housed Gypsies and Travellers 50

4.6 Travelling Showmen 54

Chapter 5: Summary and main findings 57

5.1 Accommodation needs and preferences 57

5.1.1 Travelling patterns and accommodation histories 57
5.1.2 Current accommodation experiences 58
5.1.3 Space, overcrowding and concealed households 59
5.1.4 Accommodation preferences and aspirations 60

5.2 Other related support needs 60

5.2.1 Education 60
5.2.2 Health 62
5.2.3 Employment and training 63
5.2.4 Other related services 64

5.3 Accommodation need and supply 66

5.3.1 The supply of Gypsy and Traveller accommodation 67
5.3.2 The need for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation provision 67

Chapter 6: Key issues and recommendations 73

6.1 Strategic approaches 73

6.2 Communication, dialogue and engagement 73

6.3 Developing accommodation 74

6.4 Strategies, policies and systems 76

6.5 Related service issues 77

6.6 Concluding remarks 77

Bibliography 79

Appendix 1: Process Map for Unauthorised Encampments 81

Appendix 2: Map: Existing Gypsy & Traveller Sites in Hull 83

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List of Tables, Figures & Maps

Tables

Table 1: CLG Caravan Count results for Hull between July 2004 and July 2006 25

Table 2: Ethnicity of total survey sample 28

Table 3: Age of interviewees 28

Table 4: Marital status of the survey sample 29

Table 5: Household size distribution 30

Table 6: Total number of Gypsies and Travellers on the local authority sites 31

Table 7: Access to facilities on sites 58

Table 8: Net need for residential pitches across Hull 2006-2011 71

Table 9: Net need for transit site pitches across Hull 2006-2011 71

Table 10: Estimated residential need from future population growth 2001-2021
across Hull 71

Table 11: Estimated residential need for new pitches across Hull 2006-2021 71

Figures

Figure 1: Caravan Count - total count for Hull 25

Figure 2: Caravan Count - total count for local authority sites 26

Figure 3: Caravan Count - unauthorised encampments total 26

Figure 4: Caravan Count - unauthorised encampments (tolerated/not tolerated) 27

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Glossary

The following terms are used in this report and may need some clarification.

Term Explanation
Building on a site where kitchen and bathroom
Amenity block/Shed
facilities are located
Authorised Local
An authorised site owned by the local authority
Authority site
Bricks and mortar Permanent mainstream housing
Doubling-up To share a single pitch on an authorised site
Term used by mainly Romany (English)
Gaujo Gypsies to refer to members of the settled
community
Concrete area on which to park a
Hard standing
caravan/trailer
Mobile Legally classified as a caravan but not usually
home/Chalet/static moveable without dismantling/or lorry
Pitch/plot Area of land on a site
Pull on/Pulling up To park a trailer/caravan
Reference to non-travellers (those that live in
Settled Community
houses)
Unauthorised locations frequented by Gypsies
Stopping place
and Travellers, usually for short periods of time
Potential households currently living with
Suppressed/Concealed
someone else, who are unable to access a
household
place on a site or housing
Trailer Moveable caravan
Transit site Site intended for short stays
Refers to a caravan/trailer or group of
Unauthorised caravans/trailers on land owned (possibly
Development developed) by Gypsies and Travellers without
planning permission
Unauthorised Stopping on private/public land without
Encampment permission (e.g. at the side of the road)
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List of Acronyms

CJPOA Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
CLG Communities and Local Government
CRE Commission for Racial Equality
DOC Developing Our Communities
GTAA Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment
Hull GATE Hull Gypsy And Traveller Exchange
LA Local Authority
ODPM Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
RHS Regional Housing Strategy
RSS Regional Spatial Strategy
SHUSU Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit
TES Traveller Education Service
TET Traveller Education Team
UD Unauthorised development
UE Unauthorised encampment
YHRA Yorkshire and Humber Regional Assembly

Note: Over the past few years, the governmental department responsible for
Gypsy and Traveller related issues has been subject to a number of changes,
as such this note aims to provide the reader with some brief information about
these changes.

Until 2001, the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions
(DETR) was responsible for Gypsy and Traveller issues. In 2001, this then
passed to the Department for Transport, Local Government and the
Regions (DTLR). In 2002, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)
took control of these issues, within which the Gypsy and Traveller Unit was
founded. In 2006 the ODPM was replaced by the Communities and Local
Government (CLG).
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Chapter 1: Introduction

In 1994, The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act (CJPOA) removed the
duty of local authorities to provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers. In the
years that followed, household formation levels coupled with growing
migration led to a situation whereby the number of Gypsies and Travellers
requiring authorised places to live or stop was far greater than the number of
authorised pitches available. Furthermore, those who wished to develop sites
for themselves and their families often faced the barrier of being unable to
gain planning permission. Consequently, Gypsies and Travellers have found
themselves increasingly subject to costly enforcement action and eviction
from unauthorised encampments. The assessment of the accommodation
and related support needs of Gypsies and Travellers has thus become a
pertinent issue for government.

Recent research for the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Assembly (YHRA)
provides an extensive overview of the legislative context in relation to Gypsies
and Travellers through the region. This review clearly demonstrates that
various significant policy reforms, particularly in housing and planning, have
had significant implications for Gypsies and Travellers. Not only has the need
to address under provision been emphasised, but also the requirement to
address long standing inequalities (see CRE, 2006). It is not the purpose of
this report, however, to revisit these issues with a lengthy discussion of
government policy (see YHRA, 2006, for more information).

Following Section 8 of the Housing Act 1985, it was deemed a requirement for
local authorities to carry out periodic reviews of the needs of the local
population to enable them to make the necessary and appropriate provision.
In more recent years, the emphasis on inclusiveness has increased. Section
225 of the Housing Act 2004, for example, placed a specific duty on local
authorities to assess the needs of Gypsies and Travellers and develop and
implement strategies to address these needs. Consequently, local authorities
have been preparing to develop and implement strategies to respond to the
accommodation needs of the Gypsy and Traveller communities living in their
areas as part of their wider housing strategies and the Regional Housing
Strategy (RHS). In addition, following the Planning and Compulsory Purchase
Act 2004, ODPM Circular 01/2006 provided guidance for planning authorities
outlining the need to ensure that there is adequate future Gypsy and Traveller
site provision by addressing any current under-provision; this will in turn
inform the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS).

Over the last 12 months, as a result of the new legislation and governmental
impetus, a raft of new documents have been published which directly affect
policies towards Gypsies and Travellers. It was felt that previous housing
needs assessments were failing to assess or identify the needs of Gypsies
and Travellers. As a result, a number of Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation
Assessments (GTAA) are now being undertaken across the UK, as local
authorities try to respond to these new obligations and requirements. These
assessments are designed to provide the evidence needed to inform
strategies and practice, not only at a local level but also within a regional
context.
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1.1 What constitutes need for Gypsies and Travellers?

The general definition of housing need is “households who are unable to
access suitable housing without some financial assistance”, with housing
demand defined as “the quantity of housing that households are willing and
able to buy or rent” (ODPM, 2006, p. 7). For Gypsies and Travellers the
definition of housing need must be varied slightly to acknowledge the different
contexts in which members of these communities live. It is recognised that, in
many cases, the above definition is inappropriate for Gypsies and Travellers.
Therefore, we must move beyond the limitations of the definition for both
caravan dwellers and those in bricks and mortar housing. Thus, for caravan
dwelling households, need may take the form of those:

• Who have no authorised site on which to live;

• Whose existing site accommodation is overcrowded or unsuitable but
who are unable to obtain larger or more suitable accommodation; and

• Who contain ‘suppressed’ households who are unable to set up
separate family units, access a place on an authorised site, or
obtain/afford land to develop one.

In the context of bricks and mortar dwelling households, need may take the
form of those:

• Whose existing accommodation is overcrowded or unsuitable
(including unsuitability by virtue of psychological aversion to bricks and
mortar accommodation); and

• That contain suppressed households who are unable to set up
separate family units or access suitable or appropriate accommodation.

1.2 The study brief

The objective of this research was to achieve a comprehensive study of the
current situation in Hull, through engagement with the Gypsy and Traveller
population and other relevant stakeholders, and make recommendations for
future provision.

The aim was to provide information on the following issues:

• Present and future accommodation needs, including tenure
preferences, location and reasons for wanting to move/stay;

• Suitability of existing sites and attitudes to current site provision,
including views on condition of accommodation and access to basic
amenities;
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