Homeowners could be forced to sell part of their land so travellers and gypsies can have permanent sites

Published 17th Nov 2008

Homeowners are facing the prospect of being forced to sell their own land to make space for gypsy campsites under orders from the government.

Desperate to build permanent sites for travellers and gypsies, the Government is launching what has been described as a 'land grab', which could see fields and even private gardens converted into pitches for mobile homes.

One local authority is now warning its residents that their land could be brought under compulsory purchase if they refuse to sell up to make way for hundred of travellers setting up home in their town.

The government has given Epping Forest District Council in Essex a directive to provide the area with an extra 49 traveller pitches by 2012, upping the number to 92 by 2022.

If other local councils follow suit, thousands of landowners could see their property bought at reduced rates.

The Essex council has released documents about their plans for more campsites that reveal how they will find land for the new developments.

They also admitted anyone wanting to build new housing estates in the area may be required to provide areas for traveller campsites.

'As a last resort there may need to be sites on other private land , wherever possible, we would seek the owners agreement, but as a matter of last resort the option of Compulsory Purchase is there,' they say on their website.

The powers would be used by The Council and the Homes and Communities Agency and any Compulsory Purchase Order would be made by the Homes and Communities Agency.

They added: 'The District Council itself would only consider Compulsory Purchase Order as a last resort in having to meet Government requirements.

'Any land owner faced with the possibility of compulsory purchase following finalisation of the plan may be well advised to sell because land would be compulsorily purchased at its original land value, plus very limited compensation.'

Terence Ruddigan, 73, who could have a campsite next to his home, said: 'They are just pinching our land and telling us, "you will have to put up with it".'

Epping Forest Tory MP Eleanor Laing said: 'What is the point of all our work to protect people’s freedom and to make them feel secure in their own homes when a Labour Government can revert to the worst excesses of Communist dictatorships and compulsorily purchase bits of land next to people’s homes?'

The Department of Communities and Local Government has set regional planners the target of coming up with sites for the extra 4,000 pitches and has provides £20million in grants to councils to create legal encampments.

Chris Whitwell, of Friends, Travellers and Families, said: 'There are around 25,000 gypsies and travellers who do not have fixed places to live at the moment. We think that is disgraceful.

'The shortfall of pitches should be addressed as soon as possible. Gypsies have been in this country for 500 years, isn’t it about time people started to accept them?'

A Communities and Local Government spokeswoman denied people would face compulsory land sales.

'It is a matter for councils to identify authorised sites for travellers, as a good supply of authorised sites can break the vicious circle of evictions that is costly to taxpayers,' she said.

Source: ' Daily Mail '

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