Gypsy and Traveller Planning

Mike Weir Excerpts

Wednesday 13th July 2011 Westminster Hall

[Andrew George]

On fairness and even-handedness for the settled community and the unsettled community, which includes those who live in squats and caravans who are “settled” but cannot find adequate accommodation, does the hon. Lady agree that all reports have shown that the life expectancy of Travellers and Gypsies is significantly lower than that of the settled community and that infant mortality and maternal mortality are much higher? In addition, Travellers are hugely disadvantaged in education, with 75% of children regularly in education compared with—

[Mr Mike Weir (in the Chair)]

Order. Interventions must be brief.

[Priti Patel]

We have touched on the fundamental problem, which is the real unfairness in the planning system. Ultimately, that has to be resolved.

We can see in the detail of the proposed circular some of the problems that local communities and councils will encounter. It still instructs local authorities to set pitch and plot targets for 15 years and to identify specific plots for the first five years. As now, those targets could be legally challenged in the courts and appealed at the Planning Inspectorate, with people trying to get planning permission or to fight enforcement action by arguing that the targets set are inadequate. It would also force local authorities to consider favourably applications for temporary planning permission if they cannot demonstrate an up-to-date five-year supply of desirable sites. It states that councils should determine applications from Travellers from anywhere, not only those with local connections, and that provision can be given to Gypsy and Traveller developments on green belt land.

Although the emphasis on locally agreed targets is an improvement on the previous Government’s insistence on top-down national and regional targets, I hope that the Minister will look again at the necessity of implementing the draft circular, which will maintain a damaging imbalance in the planning system. That imbalance must be redressed. We need real balance and fairness.

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[Several hon. Members]

rose—

[Mr Mike Weir (in the Chair)]

Order. A large number of Members wish to speak in the debate. I hope to start the wind-ups at about 3.30 pm, so I plead for the briefest possible contributions. I also remind hon. Members that interventions should be brief.

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[Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest) (Con)]

I thank my hon. Friend for giving way. Does he agree that one of the ways to deal with the matter is simply not to allow—

[Mr Mike Weir (in the Chair)]

Order. There is a Division in the House. I suspend the sitting for 15 minutes.

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On resuming—

[Mr Mike Weir (in the Chair)]

The debate will now continue until 4.15 pm.

[Mark Garnier]

I thank my hon. Friend again for giving way.