Dale Farm - evicted residents return

[LDNmummy]

So who saw that one coming and what do you think will happen now after it cost millions to remove them the first time?

Ha ha... Really??

Yup, not sure whether to laugh at the fact that this wasn't thought of as a follow up move by the travellers and prepared for, or to cry when thinking of how much money was wasted to remove them in the first place.

The original ruling was very clear that anyone returning and trying to camp illegally could be dealt with immediately. It'll be an ongoing process as it is elsewhere.

It's been known that they would probably return and there is an injunction in place to stop this so they will be gone again - either willingly or not. Feel sorry for them though as they have nowhere to go and it's now winter when Gypsys tend not to travel. The are saying that if they need to move then they will occupy carparks and laybys. The evil bit of me hopes they find the local "we do what we want with regard to planning permission" Tesco store.

They knew winter would come. They knew the eviction would come

They have had plenty of notice to find elsewhere .. And where have they been last few weeks? The council offered them alternatives

Yes they were all offered accommodation by the council. From my experience of them though they find this hard. They will be gone though, injunction in place.

Here we go again.

Sorry I do

I feel some sympathy for their plight, there are not enough sites. However, they bought this site knowing there was no planning permission there. Nobody can pick and choose which laws they follow.

I feel sympathy tho due to the lack of official sites for gypsies and travellers in this country. I can understand why they act in this way.

About two thirds of them were registered for and paying council tax from what I can gather. The third which were not employed all means necessary to avoid doing so - this included regularly swapping addresses/caravans. My Mum worked for the CT dept at the council for a while and dealt with this - says it was a nightmare. Two thirds of them DID pay though......

The biggest problem here has been the children who were a nightmare for the local shop - very light fingered some of them (and I appreciate all children can be the same left to their own devices). The Travellers would deny this but they are very much about protecting their own - doesn't mean they think the children are totally innocent - they just won't acknowledge that to putsiders.

Buggerlugs, they are not 'brick built shally's [sic]' (I think the work you're looking for is 'chalet', by the way), they are basically glamorous portacabins (also known as park homes/western homes). The are sectional timber structures that are delivered in a couple of parts on the back of a lorry and can fairly easily be moved to another location.

But it's less about their desire to live in bricks and mortar and more that traditional housing does not allow them to live in the extended family groups that is usual for thier culture. Travellers can live quite happily in traditional housing (and more than 50% of the population do) but tenancies are only successful where it is their choice to do so or where 'culturally apropriate' housing has been developed especially which meets their needs for extended family living (although I don't think much of that type of housing exists in England, despite having proved extremely successful in other parts). Forcing people into housing against their will inevitably leads to issues such as anti social behaviour and tenancy breakdown within months, if not weeks. Costing LAs more money and resources to address.