‘Travellers have to live somewhere’

Jun 20 2008 by Rebecca Edwards, Chester Chronicle

WITHOUT a permanent site for the travelling community, unlawful sites will always be an issue, says Shantele Janes of Cheshire, Halton and Warrington Racial Equality Council.

She said: “If you have got unlawful encampments in the area people complain about it. The idea of having a permanent site for people is that they have a home there, they pay rent for that pitch, they send their children to school, they access health care and pay Council Tax like everyone else.

“Vale Royal has realised that if they are going to solve the problem of unlawful camps they have to have somewhere where Gypsies and Travellers can live and I applaud them for it.”

Ms Janes added that people should not jump to stereotypes of a Travellers’ site being based in their area.

She said: “There is a negative perception but often it is based on second-hand information or stories in the media.

“There are issues and bad behaviour within every community, but we don’t tarnish everyone with the same brush.

“What people don’t realise is that Gypsies and Travellers don’t want bad elements living nearby either – they want people to be punished just as you or I would want someone in our community punished for criminal behaviour.”