Conference Papers

If you would like to order the papers for this conference, including the slide presentations as they were presented to the delegate on the day, click here.

Keynote speaker:
Iain Wright MP,
Parliamentary Under Secretary for Communities and Local Government

Accommodation is key to the well-being of Gypsies and Travellers – it provides access to local public services as well as helps in solving local tensions with the settled community. The need for more Gypsy and Traveller sites is now well documented, and is further backed up by data from the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessments at sub-regional and district level.

Government recently introduced a policy framework to increase site provision to meet the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers including legislation which placed a duty on local authorities to assess need and identify potential sites in development plan documents. The intention is to reduce the number of unauthorised sites and promote good race relations with the settled community. Government is now planning the Housing and Regeneration Bill which in particular, will address the 2004 European Court of Human Rights ruling on security of tenure for Gypsies and Travellers on council run-sites.

In its 6th year, this annual conference will look at progress to date – the pace of delivery under the new framework, implementation at local and regional level, security of tenure, using Accommodation Needs Assessments, overcoming objections to site provision, and how site management and design is improving under new government best practice guidelines.

For further information contact Laura Brownlee on 020 7324 4372,
e-mail laura.brownlee@neilstewartassociates.co.uk