To think that the council had better turn that land into a beautiful oasis/nature reserve...

[MrsRetchingBloodAndGuts]

to make the money spent on the Dale farm eviction worth it?

Or do the travellers still own it?

I was kind of on the fence about the eviction and i do feel that it has to be one rule for all but after watching panorama the other day and found that the land had been used as a scrapyard for the 30 years prior to the travellers buying it it I must admit I thought wow!

They didn't care when it was a scrapyard (not being used as greenbelt) so I thought the greenbelt argument was not very valid after hearing that?

wether it was green belt or not

they didn't have permission to build there, they knew it at the time and still went ahead

if it was up to me i'll send the travellers the bill

The travellers still own it.

And the council has already spend enough money sorting out their illeagal actions.

oh and the council did offer to buy the land of them but they refused

Presumably they turned down the offer to buy the land because they don't want money, they want somewhere to live.

I just think it's such a waste of money! No ones living on it and it's not being used as greenbelt, I guess that's the part that confuses me, if it's not being used for nature then what does greenbelt mean?

If it's allowed to stay as a scrapyard/big mess then why arent people allowed to live on it? I'd have thought greenbelt meant it should at least have grass on it?

Greenbelt means you can't build housing structures on it.

Simple as that really.

The council have no obligation to turn it into something pretty. They stopped people living on it illegally. Their job is done.

I agree that it's a waste of money in some ways, but at the same time, money has to be spent to uphold the law when you have people that blatantly think they are above it.

Hopefully the money that was wasted by the Dale Farm residents will be saved by other councils who's travellers will perhaps be more cautious about breaking the law in future.

well how about they live in the houses they own in ireland?

The scrap yard that was there before wasn't illegal.
And all the honest hard working tax payers that legally live round the site didn't have to put up with being terrorised when it was a scrap yard either.

They don't want to mix with anyone else but their own, and I wouldn't want them living at the end of my back garden.

In London where I'm from we have a terrible problem with Gypsy's, whereas in Manchester where my partner is from, he doesn't see why I despise them so much. IMO the majority of gypsy's contribute nothing to society. They reguarly steal the lead off the roof's of the local schools and there is a fear of dread as we see them parked in the local car park, knowing that until the council moves them there will bee countless muggings and burglarys. Most of them have cash in hand jobs and don't pay taxes, yet they still uses all the resourses such as the NHS and schooling.

But hiss, travellers still live right next door on the legal part anyway.

Well I'm still confused as to why greenbelt land doesn't have to be nice and 'green', what's the point?

I think you've misunderstood what greenbelt means, it has nothing to do with being pretty, its just a means of stopping urban sprawl. Lots of ugly things can legitimately take place on greenbelt land as long as dwellings aren't built there.

The point is so that the entire country doesn't turn into one big sprawling city.

not as many, which is definately a positive. And according to a panorama or channel4 thing a few weeks ago, they all travel in the summer and poo in the park.....

...and the travellers made the locals lives hell apparently.

Okay. I now understand the meaning of greenbelt! Hoorray!

I get it, I am no longer confused. Thank you noir and slaveto :)

Poo in the park?