The Government should treat travellers like it does every other citizen (From The Argus)

The Government should treat travellers like it does every other citizen

8:40am Thursday 9th February 2012 in Your Argus

IT IS the duty of elected councillors to run a city, town, village or parish on behalf of, and for the benefit of, its residents. It is the duty of MPs to represent the views of their constituents in Parliament.

The question of travellers is a national issue and should be dealt with by MPs, not by local councillors. The Brighton and Hove City Council consultation paper two entitled Draft Traveller Commissioning Strategy 2012 is a party document for consideration by MPs, not local councillors.

If councillors have land available for development in the city, residents should have first call on that land. For example, if the council decides the Horsdean site is available for permanent residence, it should put park homes on the site and make these available for the homeless in the city to rent or buy. It is for the national Government to settle the traveller situation, not councillors.

MPs in Sussex should urge the Government to ask councils in Sussex to provide three sites in East Sussex and three in West Sussex, with room for 30 caravans on each, well away from any conurbations.

Anyone wishing to stay on these sites would have to apply to a Sussex central booking agency. The minimum stay could be for one month with a maximum stay of three months. Local councils could jointly contribute to the cost of running these sites and provide the health checks and schooling for the children. All councils in Sussex could then pass bylaws prohibiting encampments in cities, towns, villages or parishes.

Every other citizen in the UK is regulated in some way and there is no reason why travellers should be exempt.

B Bayliss, Mornington Crescent, Hove

I NOTE that MP Mike Weatherley has advocated that travellers should be encouraged to buy their own sites (The Argus, February 1). Isn’t that how Dale Farm started?

David Stevens, Brighton Road, Lancing

THIS facility, which is said to cost more than £100,000 per family, would house trailers and caravans while an amenity block provides a kitchen, bathroom and day room. Why not include a swimming pool and bar as well?

This proposal by the Green party for a travellers’ site in Britain’s newest national park is totally unacceptable. As residents who pay council tax we should protest against this.

The Green Party intends to put up council tax by 3.5% and proposes to make redundancies. Is this so it can pay for a traveller site? I personally am totally against this proposal and urge the Green Party of the council to think very hard before they go any further.

Ray Farrow, St Aubyns, Hove