“I was glad to have the opportunity yesterday during Communities Questions to raise with the Secretary of State the so-called “Regional Spatial Strategy,” produced by the unelected South West Regional Assembly, which has led the Planning Inspectorate to conclude last week that the gypsies at Minety can continue to camp illegally and break planning law until such time as Wiltshire provides 48 more pitches for gypsies,” said James Gray MP.

“As my constituents will know, I have long thought that the Regional Spatial Strategy is badly flawed, not least because it gives gypsies an excuse to break planning law in the way that those at Minety have done. Also, there is an unquantifiable number of gypsies and travelling people from this country and across the EU who may well now seek to take advantage of this loophole in planning law and come to camp illegally in Wiltshire until further pitches are provided. I know of no reason why the travelling community should be given any preference at all under our planning laws. It seems to me that the laws of England should apply to all, irrespective of their way of life or racial origin,” said Mr Gray.

 

“The Secretary of State said that proper planning must be in place for gypsy and traveller sites, but the Government’s demonstrably bad law that travellers can camp illegally until additional pitches are provided by Wiltshire is certainly not ‘proper planning.’ If a member of the settled community parked a caravan illegally they would feel the full force of the law immediately, so I do not see why an exception should be made for people in the travelling community.”

Read on to see the text of Mr Gray's question and the Rt. Hon. Hazel Blears MP's response in full..

Mr. James Gray (North Wiltshire) (Con): It would be interesting to hear what discussions the Secretary of State has had with her right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the perverse effect that the regional spatial strategy for the south-west may have on an area of outstanding natural beauty in my constituency, given its requirement for 48 new pitches for Gypsies and Travellers in the constituency. The planning inspectorate decided last week in the Minety case that Gypsies may set up their caravans anywhere they please until such time as the county provides that imaginary number of sites. What is the Secretary of State going to do about the perverse effect on the countryside?

Hazel Blears: The hon. Gentleman will be aware that if appropriate plans are in place to enable Gypsy and Traveller sites to be organised properly, that is far the best option. When no plan is in place, we must often resort to enforcement action, which is more costly, takes more time, and has a bigger impact on the area concerned. The hon. Gentleman asks whether I have talked to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the issue. I have not talked to my right hon. Friend about the specific issue in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency, but I think he is as aware, as I am, that proper planning for Gypsy and Traveller sites is far the best way of dealing with such matters.

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