Oral Answers to Questions

Jonathan Lord Excerpts

Thursday 25th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Eric Ollerenshaw (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Con)]

2. What steps he is taking to reduce the number of unauthorised encampments.

[Jonathan Lord (Woking) (Con)]

6. What steps he is taking to reduce the number of unauthorised encampments.

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

Local authorities will be responsible for determining the right level of Traveller site provision in their area to meet local needs and historic demands. We will encourage councils to provide sites with incentives through the new homes bonus scheme and grant funding for local authorities to deliver new sites.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jonathan Lord]

Residents of the village of Normandy in my constituency are fed up with the never-ending cycle of encampments on green-belt fields, retrospective planning applications and seemingly unenforceable planning refusals. Does my right hon. Friend really believe that the measures he has described will provide a proper and permanent solution for my concerned constituents?

[Mr Pickles]

The short answer to that is, of course, yes.

I am afraid that the policy pursued by the last Government left us in a very difficult position. Let me give an indication of how difficult it has become. I remind Members that in 1997 there were 887 unlawful encampments. That figure was bad enough, but it has now shot up to 2,395. As for the second part of my hon. Friend’s question, we intend to restrict retrospective planning applications substantially.