Agenda item

Members' Questions

Minutes:

a)    Councillor Da Costa asked the following question of Councillor Grey, Lead Member for Environmental Services:

 

Following the distress and damage caused to residents and Council property when travellers illegally accessed Dedworth Manor, can you tell me how many vulnerable sites exist across the Borough?

 

Councillor Grey responded this was a difficult question to answer. Firstly, there was no strict definition for a vulnerable site. Unauthorised encampments could occur, in theory, on any piece of land. Open spaces, village greens,  and private land could all become vulnerable if violated.

 

The council was  aware of those sites that the Royal Borough owned and the council was constantly looking at those places that could be improved with bollards, ditches and walls.

 

By way of a supplementary question, Councillor Da Costa asked what measures could be taken to secure sites, including pre-emptive legal measures, when would the sites be secured to reduce heartbreak for residents and costs for the council?

 

Councillor Grey responded that £80,000 had been allocated to undertake measures such as bollards, ditches and walls. The council would also encourage landowners to secure their own properties and liaise with parish councils to ensure they were aware.

 

b)   Councillor Da Costa asked the following question of Councillor Coppinger, Lead Member for Planning and Health:

 

 Given the criticism by the Borough Local Plan Inspector of the Council’s continued failure to produce a “Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Local Plan”, can the Lead Member tell me when such a plan will be produced, as such provision should help alleviate pressures on residents and the costs of dealing with illegal camps in the Borough?

 

Councillor Coppinger responded that he did not think that Councillor Da Costa was paying attention at the hearing. The Inspector did not criticise the Council with regard to the work being done on its plan for Travellers. Councillor Da Costa was confusing the legitimate right  of travellers to have a permanent home and the needs of travellers seeking short term accommodation, which was the case in Dedworth, Holyport and Bray.

 

As part of the first stage of the examination officers were able to update the Inspector on progress with this work. A Gypsy Traveller Accommodation assessment had been published and was available on the council website; it set out the need for 26 pitches for traveller accommodation in the borough for the plan period to 2033. There was also a need to plan for 14 permanent plots for Travelling Showpeople. Most importantly, the council would also consider with its neighbouring authorities an interim sites which could be enforced by the police. There were strict rules about deposits and rents that had to be paid.

The Local Development Scheme had been updated with the timetable for progressing the Traveller Local Plan. Most importantly a Traveller call for sites was initiated by officers on 13 July 2018; this was similar to the call for sites for other uses but specifically to meet the needs of gypsies and travellers. He encouraged Members to make residents aware of the call for sites process and ask them to consider making any land they held available.

 

By way of a supplementary question, Councillor Da Costa asked for a target date when sufficient sites would be available to meet the needs already assessed.

 

Councillor Coppinger responded that he did not know but as soon as possible.

 

d)           Councillor Bhatti asked the following question of Councillor Grey, Lead Member for Environmental Services:

 

Please can the Lead Member let me know what more can be done to prevent unauthorised encampments like the one that occurred in Whiteleys and on Dedworth Manor/Sawyers Close?

 

Councillor Grey responded that preventing unauthorised encampments could be very difficult but the key issue was to secure sites so that access to them was prevented and made as difficult as possible for people to access the sites.

 

With ‘open’ land, village greens the very nature of the land made it difficult to put measures in. The installation of bollards, walls or ditches had to be assessed before being implemented. They had to fit in with the streetscene and be suitable. Therefore the council would encourage people to secure their own land, as the council was doing on its own.

 

Councillor Bhatti confirmed he did not have a supplementary question.

 

e)    Councillor Bhatti asked the following question of Councillor Grey, Lead Member for Environmental Services:

 

Will the council publish guidance on how the Borough deals with unauthorised traveller encampments to explain the processes involved?

 

Councillor Grey responded that the council had an established a procedure for responding to unauthorised encampments, working jointly with Thames Valley Police. The aim was for joint working to cover all angles for both the police and the local authority. He would ensure the information was published on the website and liaise with parish councils to ensure they got the message also.

 

Councillor Bhatti confirmed he did not have a supplementary question.

 

f)     Councillor E Wilson asked the following question of Councillor Grey, Lead Member for Environmental Services:

 

Following the recent unauthorised encampment in Dedworth how will the Lead Member ensure that residents in the Royal Borough are kept up to date on illegal traveller encampments?

 

Councillor Grey responded that it is not always possible to provide ongoing public updates immediately because normally the violations occurred on a Friday night. The moment it was reported officers were on the case. Within 24 hours paperwork was issued. If this was ignored, it could take up to 7-10 days for the police to act to get them moved. He would ensure the communications team used social media and the website to get the message out.

 

By way of a supplementary question, Councillor E. Wilson commented that a lot of the angst and despair amongst residents was when they did not have the facts to hand and into the vacuum came gossip and rumour. He welcomed the use of social media however he asked whether Thames Valley Police could have a communication protocol to tell residents what was going on and when it would happen?

 

Councillor Grey responded that the work was already ongoing but he would emphasise it with Thames Valley Police.