It is about sixty-five miles from Dale Farm to Creeting St Peter, but distance does not in itself provide relief. My village, like so many in mid-Suffolk, is about an hour away by fast road, surrounded by fields full of... well, not much at this time of year. And, if a large number of travellers are to be evicted from the Dale Farm site, they're going to go somewhere.
That might sound like paranoia to some, and with my liberal head on, I might agree. However, I've grown to accept that, when push comes to shove, I'm in a minority, and as a parish councillor, I'm obliged to deal with the fears of local residents. Note that I don't say pander, an important distinction.
And so, tomorrow evening, I am bound for Claydon, a large village between Creeting St Peter and Ipswich, for the quarterly meeting of the Mid Suffolk South Area Committee of the Suffolk Association of Local Councils (think of it as the Local Government Association for parish councils), where the main item on the agenda is travellers. My invitation reads;
Dale Farm Traveller Evictions: The Impact on Suffolk
As you might be aware, eviction notices have been served on families living at England's largest travellers' site. Basildon Council has given people living on 51 unauthorised pitches at Dale Farm, Essex, until the end of August to leave. More than 400 travellers currently live at the former scrap yard. This site has been developed by this particular travelling community since 2001. The travelling community at this site are concerned that they are being made homeless. This has led to Suffolk communities considering the potential impact of hundreds of travellers on the move and looking for alternative sites. Suffolk, as a neighbouring county, is one of the obvious options for the travellers at Dale Farm.
Communities will look to local town and parish councils both to be prepared for any foreseeable eventuality and also to help resolve any issues that rise as a result of travellers moving into their area. Working with the County Council’s traveller liaison officer, Keren Wright, will be a crucial part of this process. In light of this SALC and SCC are working together to provide an opportunity for councils to discuss Dale Farm with Keren. These opportunities are being provided through sessions at the next round of area meetings. Please look at your agenda for exact details and timings as some are being held earlier than the normal area meeting start time. Support material will be provided. We would appreciate an indication of numbers prior to the event.
Naturally, I will be there to find out as much as I can about what how Mid Suffolk District Council and Suffolk County Council will deal with conflicts, and encourage efforts to collaborate amongst my neighbouring parishes, before reporting back to my community.
However, I'm braced for some fairly non-PC views on 'gypsies and pikies'...
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