Planning permission to include 3 traveller pitches…

[MrsALS]

If you were living close by (circa 0.5 miles) to a new build development that included 3 permanent traveller pitches would you be worried?
Local planning has just been approved.
On one hand 0.5 miles isn’t on our doorstep, 3 pitches isn’t huge, and I’m guessing a permanent site as part of a wider new development is better than a temporary, illegal site. But on the other hand I can’t help but be nervous, particularly the impact on resale value.
Can I have opinions please?

I don't think the people saying "from personal experience" understand what racism is. You are being racist because you are suggesting that membership of an ethnic group means certain (undesirable) traits. So if you meet a Traveller, you ascribe certain traits to that person on the basis of their race. Racism.

We’ve lived within 3/4 of a mile from a travellers site for the last 20 years. It’s permanent and the residents I assume are long term.

Never had an issue, ever! Don’t give it a thought to be honest.

I think there is a big difference between a site for settled travellers and those who are more nomadic.

@BooomShakeTheRoom I've reported your post for racism

It's giving "I can't be racist I have a black friend" vibes.

Maybe they should clean up their act then . People don't inherently dislike those who are law abiding and follow social responsibility norms .
Doesn't matter what creed or colour you are , if you follow the general law of the land and clean up after you like everyone else has to then people will like you .

So is it your assumption that all travellers are law breakers?

The vast majority of Gypsies and Travellers are law-abiding and are as appalled by anti-social behaviour as you or I. The problem is that, because they have a different lifestyle they are more visible, so the transgressions of one are extrapolated to all.

Just like black people - if one black person committed a crime then the white majority used to pile in and assume criminality applied to all and was a general trait. Thankfully we have moved on from this.

Gypsies and Travellers are in that same boat and we need to be discriminating.

I am not held to blame for the crimes committed by other middle-aged women.

I am not excusing nor minimizing the impact of anti-social behaviour, but I hope that I do not blame a whole race for the actions of the few.

That's valid, however if you have had thousands of pounds worth of tools and cabling stolen, and had damage due to further attempted break ins, it human to be wary. I'm wary. I can't afford not to be. Not a one off problem sadly.

Your tools were stolen by a thief, their ethnicity is irrelevant. Unless all thieves are from the same race?

@thbuojhnbvxznb if a black person, or a Jewish person, had stolen your things, would you be on here advising someone not to buy a house near any black or Jewish people in case their stuff gets stolen? Of course you wouldn't.

So stop generalising about Travellers.

It's an ongoing problem and the crimes are hard to prosecute due to cover up by the community. It's fine, I get your point, and agree with you, but I am naturally wary as would you be in the same circumstances.

Where did I advise anyone to do anything? I didn't.

Please don't speak for me. I don't make sweeping racist generalisations.

Unfortunately the majority of rural crime round here is carried out by gypsies. That doesn’t mean that all gypsies are criminals obviously.
The police are scared to tackle the criminal ones and even tell local businesses to let them take what they want otherwise they come back to torch the premises.

FFS I am talking about MY situation I have no idea who you are, but you are obviously wealthy enough to take £££ theft on the chin or never been in my situation. I suspect the latter. The problem for me is on going. Yes we know who is responsible, and no the police aren't willing to get involved.

(Read about PC Harper. Can you blame them. Trigger Warning do not read the case if you are sensitive, it is extremely disturbing.)

Did you completely miss the bit where I said 'I get your point and I agree with you'???? Or were you just so happy to jump around screaming racist???

Leaving this thread now.......

Yes as it so happens I am wealthy. I'm also a gypsy. I am also a law abiding citizen. I'm sure many on this thread think all those things cannot possibly true at once, shame on them I say.

I grew up within 1/2 a mile of a large permanent traveller site and the kids used to go to my primary school.

This was over 30 years ago now, but the experience of sharing a classroom with those kids has, rightly or wrongly, tarnished my view of all traveller sites.

The kids were always filthy and smelled terrible and, as a result, got picked on and excluded from everything. The parents weren't any better and would shout and swear at anyone that so much as glanced at them out the corner of their eye.

I know that things have changed and the vast majority of those from the traveller community are not like this any more, but personally I would still not want to live near a site again.

I wouldn’t from past experience and I certainly wouldn’t buy one of the houses there either

@DazzlingCuckoos My DS (now late 20s) also had traveller children in his class at Primary school and this was not his experience. I also volunteered at the school which often involved working 1:1 with these children and never had anything but a positive experience. I suppose it's like any walk of life - there's always bad apples from whatever race or culture.

More recently I've only really been aware of travellers that are at the total opposite end of the scale in terms of cleanliness of themselves and their homes.

As a child we all hated it at school - I can still recall the smell of them. As an adult, I have to wonder what on earth those poor kids were going through at home and why more support wasn't available for them.

Thankfully, in this respect, things have obviously moved on.