Frequently Asked Questions

Are Gypsies and Travellers an ethnic group?

Gypsies and Irish Travellers are recognised ethnic groups for the purposes of the Race Relations Act (1976), identified as having a shared culture, language and beliefs.

Planning and Housing law defines Gypsies and Travellers as people with a nomadic way of life.

• Some groups move frequently others live permanently in one area or only travel for a few weeks or months a year.
• Even when Gypsies and Irish Travellers live in houses their culture and heritage stays with them.
• they are frequently victims of racial discrimination and harassment e.g. ‘No Gypsies or Travellers’ signs in pubs or anywhere else is racial discrimination.

What about Gypsy and Traveller Health and Education?

Gypsies and Travellers are more prone to ill health and disability than the settled community.

• Levels of prenatal mortality, still births and infant mortality in Gypsy and Traveller communities are significantly higher than the national average.
• Gypsy and Traveller mothers are 20 times more likely to have experienced the death of a child than the rest of the population.
• It is estimated that Gypsy and Traveller women live 12 years less than the general population and men 10 years less.
• Unfortunately, Gypsy and Traveller pupils in England are also the group most at risk of failure in the education system.

Do Gypsies and Travellers abide by the Planning Laws?

Gypsies and Travellers living on authorised sites or in houses abide by planning laws.· 

• Many Gypsy and Travellers want to buy land and settle with their families but find it difficult to gain planning permission for their sites.

Why do Gypsies and Travellers camp at the side of the road?

There are not enough authorised sites for Gypsies and Travellers. 

• Local authorities used to have a duty to provide suitable sites but in 1994 this duty was removed.  Along with more land being identified for housing there are now too few sites to accommodate Gypsies and Travellers. 
• The lack of permanent and transit sites throughout the country forces Gypsies and Travellers to camp wherever they can and a minority live on road-side or unauthorised encampments.
• However, through the Local Development Framework, Mid Beds is working to identify authorised sites to help prevent unauthorised encampments in the future.

Do Gypsies and Travellers work or pay taxes?

Gypsies and Travellers do work. 

• Traditionally they found work as basket makers, horse dealers and seasonal labourers; now many are landscape gardeners, scrap metal dealers and tree fellers· much of this work is for householders who want a quick job done cheaply.
• Some are also employed as teachers, academics, health workers and in all other areas the same as the settled population.

Gypsies and Travellers do pay taxes 

• Gypsies and Travellers living on a local authority or privately owned site pay council tax, rent, gas, electricity etc. in the same way as everyone else.
• VAT is paid on everything they buy.

Why do Gypsies and Travellers leave rubbish behind?

The vast majority of Gypsies and Travellers seek to cause as little disruption to the lives of the settled community as possible.· 

• Gypsy culture is built upon strict codes of cleanliness e.g. dogs are not allowed in trailers or anywhere near plates or cutlery
• Although most Gypsies and Travellers remove their rubbish before they move on, occasionally on unauthorised encampments discarded items are left because they do not have access to services· 
• Many councils have found it cost effective to provide them with skips and portable toilets

If Gypsies and Travellers camp on my land what can I do?

• Where Gypsies and Travellers camp on land that they do not own without the owner's permission, they are 'trespassers'.
• Many encampments can be dealt with through negotiation but where this is not possible action can be taken to remove them.
• Landowners can go to court and gain a possession order under Civil Procedure Rules and local authorities and the police can use the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to direct unauthorised campers to leave.
• For more information about this please contact us directly or visit the unauthorised encampment or unauthorised development pages.