Government challenged over compulsory purchase of land for gypsy sites » Communities » 24dash.com

The Government today denied claims that the compulsory purchase of land for gypsy campsites was leading to "ill-feeling and harm" among communities.

Shadow communities minister Jacqui Lait said the Government had issued guidance to councils instructing them to use compulsory purchase powers to hit their regional targets for travellers' camps.

Ms Lait asked ministers at Commons question time: "Do you appreciate the ill-feeling and harm that this advice and guidance has caused to community relations, from such heavy-handed, top-down, state interference?"

Tory Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest) accused ministers of ignoring the rights of "decent normal law-abiding hard-working tax-paying" people by having neighbouring land taken away and used for gypsy sites.

Junior communities minister Sadiq Khan said compulsory purchase orders were entirely a matter for councils and should only be used as a "last resort".

The exchanges became increasingly rowdy as Mr Khan accused Tory Jim Paice (Cambridgeshire SE) of "demonstrating prejudice against gypsy and traveller sites".

Mr Paice had asked if he understood the plight of his constituents who had been told that another 14 gypsy sites had been granted permission in their area "because of Government pressure".

Mr Khan said: "Gypsies and travellers are bound by the same planning laws and human rights legislation as everyone else."

Travellers were subject to enforcement action and it was up to councils to decide what happened in the communities, he said.

Mr Khan told MPs that between 2006 and 2008, the Government awarded grants for over 400 additional rented pitches and 120 sites had been refurbished.

Ms Lait said that in 2006 the Deputy Prime Minister's Office had issued guidance to councils instructing them to "make their regional targets for traveller camps" by using compulsory purchase powers.

To loud Tory heckles, Mr Khan said: "Frankly you should know better. Compulsory purchase orders are entirely a matter for the local authority.

"If a local authority wished to compulsory purchase any land they would have to demonstrate that there is a compelling case in the public interest before a compulsory purchase order should be confirmed."

Ms Laing said that no one in the Conservative Party objected to "reasonable rights" being given to travellers.

But she added: "What you and your Government are doing is taking away the rights of other people.

"In my constituency, decent normal law-abiding hard-working tax-paying people are under threat of having the little pieces of land right next to their houses taken away by this Government, by compulsory purchase, to provide sites for gypsies."

Mr Khan said: "Local authorities spend £18 million each year on enforcement action on unauthorised sites.

"There is no requirement for local authorities to compulsory purchase land for gypsy or traveller sites and I would counsel honourable friends ... to use their words carefully and be tempered when it comes to spreading stories which are factually incorrect and misleading."

Later Tory James Gray (Wiltshire N) said Communities Secretary Hazel Blears had recently ruled that a "large and entirely illegal gypsy encampment" in Minety in his constituency should remain indefinitely on the grounds that there was insufficient provision elsewhere.

He said: "Given that was the basis of her ruling, will she now tell the House: first, how many gypsy caravans there are in England today; second, how many pitches there are for them in England today; third, how many gypsy caravans are illegally parked and, fourth, given that these people are nomadic and coming from as far away as southern Ireland and Romania, how she knows those figures?"

Junior communities minister Iain Wright said: "The provision of authorised sites helps improve planning, ensures that we have better social cohesion between the settled community and the gypsy travellers.

"They can actually help reduce council tax bills. Everybody wins with the provision and assessment of authorised sites."