Travellers have been pitching up at parks and open spaces in Brighton and Hove but have not directed to the dedicated camp site, according to a councillor.
Conservative councillor Dawn Barnett has written to the co-chair of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Housing Committee to find out why.
She wrote to Green councillor David Gibson after a group of caravans and vans moved on to St Helen’s Park, known as the Green, in Hangleton, rather than the Horsdean traveller site in Patcham.
The site opened in 2016 and has 12 permanent caravan pitches and 21 transit pitches where travellers can stay for up to three months.
Councillor Barnett, who represents Hangleton and Knoll ward, said in her letter, that the £2.3 million cost of the site in the South Downs National Park had been a “great expense”.
She asks for details of the council’s housing policies for travellers and for numbers of illicit camps to see whether they had changed much since the Horsdean site opened.
Her letter also asked how many travellers used the site, in St Michael’s Way, which has access to water, electricity and a shower block.
Councillor Barnett said that she received many emails and phone calls when travellers moved into St Helen’s Park on Friday 9 September.
She went to the park the same day and said that the group was not interested in going to Horsdean because they would have to pay for the pitches.
Councillor Barnett said: “The reason that site was built at great expense was if they (travellers) park where they shouldn’t be, they would be escorted to that site or they should leave the city.
“Why are they (the council) not sticking to what was said? It’s not acceptable.
“Residents do not want the travellers taking up the parks in the summer. Our own people can’t use the parks.
“I went down there and said to the travellers, ‘I want you to go on the site.’ And they said, ‘We don’t want to go on the site. We’re quite happy here, thank you very much.’”
The group moved off the park on Monday 12 September.
The letter is due to go before the Housing Committee at a meeting at Hove Town Hall next Wednesday (28 September). The meeting is scheduled to start at 4pm and to be webcast on the council’s website.
The City of Sanctuary!
Another Green Win!
Ah look, perfect proof of why racist Dawn Barnett is indeed totally unsuitable to be mayor.
Racist?
Are travellers a different race now?
My thoughts exactly, Cllr Barnett’s a thoroughly unpleasant person. She wouldn’t have moderated her awful views as mayor.
Gareth
So the council spends millions OF OUR MONEY on providing a place for these people and you think a councillor is wrong by asking them to move and questioning the incompetent current leaders of the City why they haven’t followed policy ?
Great, just another Green backside licker who can’t see the wood for the trees.
You are the type of person that is dragging this country down with your woke liberal abuse of a Councillor doing her duty.
Donna Lee
Disgusting comment.
Next time I park somewhere I shouldn’t, drop a bit of paper, have a BBQ on the beach, piddle in the street, or any other anti-social offence you could think off I’m going to shout racist…
A lot of the travellers are ‘our people’ priced out of Brighton property. More needs to be done to find good sites in the city for a growing group that can’t just be ignored or moved on.
Alan towler
They have several good sites around the city they just won’t use them.
2 words – Bull and shite they are doing what ever they like whenever they to whomever they like, hence the term that can be derived from that.
The travellers i’ve noticed aren’t short of a bob or two and they are just taking advantage of our ‘soft touch’ council, while they go around doing jobs for people, leaving their rubbish behind. We, the tax payers, then have to foot the bill. In the winter they go home to where they live. Laughing all the way.
This is what happened last time the green were in charge, the word soon went around that the greens would welcome them with open arms, I think it was our clueless green MP that said we would make Brighton the most traveler friendly city in the UK, and before you know it Brighton was swamped with travelers, there were so many in 2014/15 the clean up bill alone was £255,023, and that was with supplying bins and toilets.
Never happened, the green’s have never been in charge, no party since 2008 has had overall control
Your recollections are wrong. Kitcat and Pheilim and their cohorts have more recently than 2008 been the largest party and they were a total disaster. Kitcat ran away, the Greens were chucked out and then Labour shot themselves in both feet with all the Momentum/anti-semitism stuff,so that the Greens got in charge again by default. Labour went along with them for a while but have belatedly realised that, with local elections coming up, they ought to get out of bed with the Greens and promote an agenda of their own.
Incidentally, ‘Greens’ is a plural noun and has no apostrophe in it.
I’ve always wondered why when they are moved on their vehicles are not checked for insurance and MOT? While we are at it, HMRC could also be in attendance and ask where the money comes from to pay for the brand new vehicles and caravans. Make them prove where it came from, we have to.
They pay tax and NI, their cars and trucks are insured and MOT’d you’re just bitter they graft hard and reap the benefits of it.
What
Hmmm, and you personally have all their details to check they have paid their dues have MOT’s and insurance. Great.
But of course you’re just a wind up merchant.
Your right they are all on Benefits.
2 words – Bull and shite, prove it. I personally have checked some of their vehicles and some where none of the above – gutless council and gutless cops.
Dawn Barnett is totally correct. The facilities are supplied, the travellers should use them. If they don’t like it, pay for something else. I wonder what would happen if we charged them a bigger price for parking up where they like. Oh of course, two fingers up, we do what we like as they ride of into the sunset with a Bentley towing the caravan. We are total mugs for putting up with it.
Councillor Barnett would be better off concentrating on real issues – such as energy prices and homelessness – than continually pick on an abused and neglected group with her nazi-type views, who’ve suffered centuries of abuse and even death in concentration camps from people like her
putane de chat
Another disgusting comment without any evidence to back up their comments.
This councillor is questioning why the Council are not following their policies.
These so called abused neglected group have been provided with an area specially suited to their needs, that they won’t use. Despite your bias views, even when provisions like bins have been provided the state they leave area’s in are as disgusting as your comments.
Perhaps we should build much needed housing on the various sites so people who are ‘homeless’ and have more respect can be homed.
It would be nice if all councillors did their jobs like Councillor Barnet, perhaps Brighton would be a much better and cleaner place.
And for your information, Councillors have little influence on dealing with energy prices, think you’ll find the Government has the power to deal with that.
And as for homelessness, that would be the party currently in charge of the city, but sadly if it’s not a cycle related project, nothing will get done to address that group of poor souls. These are the real people being neglected and abused, I have more concern with these than a group of caravaners.
It’s easy to see the hate pouring through the drivel that you write.
You hate gypsies or travellers because you are a xenophobe and rascist – the same sort of rascist idiot that voted for Brexit because you don’t like all the foreigners and Asians coming here. I bet you hate all the Asians in the cabinet and on the news outlets – anyway that’s your business… I have nothing against ignorant racists – just the people that try and pretend they dont have the right to exist in just the same way you think travellers should not have the right to exist
putane de chat
Okay gob- ache, let us remind ourselves of what you have already posted for all to read :
Councillor Barnett would be better off concentrating on real issues – such as energy prices and homelessness – than continually pick on an abused and neglected group with her nazi-type views, who’ve suffered centuries of abuse and even death in concentration camps from people like her.
Where’s your evidence to prove that.
Now your post to me, It’s easy to see the hate pouring through the drivel that you write.
You because you are a xenophobe and rascist – the same sort of rascist idiot that voted for Brexit because you don’t like all the foreigners and Asians coming here. I bet you hate all the Asians in the cabinet and on the news outlets – anyway that’s your business… I have nothing against ignorant racists – just the people that try and pretend they dont have the right to exist in just the same way you think travellers should not have the right to exist.
Now show me the evidence that I hate gypsies or travellers ?
Show me evidence where I dislike people from other counties?
Show me where I’ve written anything racist.
You are the racist (correct spelling by the way) and ignorant one on here.
I have no problem with how people wish to lead their lives, that’s their business. I do however object to this council fleecing it’s residents on projects and failing to do their jobs and follow the rules that they expect us to follow.
Now then mouth, we as tax payers have spent 2.3 million on providing a site for these very people and you mouth off and claim they are abused and neglected, that doesn’t sound like it to me.
2.3 million could have provided shelter and care for homeless but that doesn’t seem to compute with thick idiots like you.
Asians by the way don’t come from the EU, so where Brexit fits in with these people I don’t know, but are welcome like everybody else from all over the world, they provide some great service to the UK and are assets and make contributions to the country.
You are quick to assume others are racist, Nazis, anti this anti that but have no knowledge of facts or do you have any evidence to prove your scandalous and liable comments.
We all have rights to live how we want, we don’t have the right to abuse the laws laid down and cause disruption to others however that is caused.
Shame your not brave enough to put your own name, no back bone, quick to gob off and it’s my opinion no intelligence owned if you can’t tell the difference from racism and someone supporting a councillor for doing their job whoever that councillor maybe.
Do have a lovely day.
don’t want to admit you voted Brexit though – f**king racist c**t
Travellers won’t use dedicated sites because they understandably don’t want to be subjected to council nonsense and rules when they get there!
putane de chat 26 September 2022 at 11.27am
don’t want to admit you voted Brexit though – f**king racist c**t
So you have no evidence or intelligent comment to make to defend your liable comments and resort to abuse and you call me a racist, and still have no evidence or proof.
Take a look in the mirror and see who is a ignorant racist.
I think we’ve established that where Brexit and foreigners/Asians etc are concerned, it makes no difference what way I voted, I’m happy for anyone from anywhere to live and work here.
Might help if you could read and understand what’s written.
Do have a nice day.