South London council's 'illegal encampment' rules 'could make Travellers homeless'

Robert Firth

22 May 2024 at 1:27 pm·3-min read

The new powers would give council officers more powers to remove unauthorised encampments on land -Credit:Matt Cardy/Getty Images

A South London council’s ban on ‘illegal encampments’ could make Travellers homeless, a local politician has warned. Liam Shrivastava, a councillor in Lewisham, said the restrictions being introduced by the local authority might also send a message that Travellers weren’t welcome in the borough and could even lead to the Labour-led council facing a legal challenge.

A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) approved by the council’s cabinet earlier in May makes it easier for the local authority to take action against antisocial behaviour through a range of powers, including introducing £100 on the spot fines. The beefed-up measures are intended to reduce nuisances like public urination, out of control dogs and loud music. But they include powers for council officers to require people to remove ‘any encampment or structure being used to occupy land without permission, including vehicles, tents, yurts and any other structure’.

Cllr Shrivastava, Labour member for New Cross Gate, said that due to the current absence of any places for Travellers to stay in the borough, the restrictions could negatively impact them. Speaking at a council call-in meeting on Tuesday (May 21) arranged to discuss concerns about the PSPO, Cllr Shrivastava said: “If we think about the fact that there’s no negotiated stopping place and we’re about to introduce a PSPO, what message are we sending to travellers in terms of whether they can be in Lewisham?

The restrictions are included in package of measures drawn up by the council in an attempt to tackle antisocial behaviour -Credit:Google Street View

“Without that appropriate accommodation and with this order, we could potentially render people from GRT [Gypsy, Roma and Traveller] communities statutory homeless and we are potentially sending a signal that says no Travellers in Lewisham.”

Cllr Shrivastava added that charity London Gypsies and Travellers had raised ‘serious concerns’ about the illegal encampment powers in the PSPO and said they could potentially breach Article 8 of the Human Rights Act, which protects the rights of people to a home and private life.

James Lee, director of community services at the council, said Lewisham was delaying implementing the illegal encampment powers while it double checked whether they were legal.

He added that the council had considered removing the unlawful encampment measure but decided not to after reviewing ‘the initial evidence base and the public support’ for the restrictions.

Almost 70 per cent of people surveyed were in favour of the rules restricting unauthorised encampments, compared to 16 per cent who opposed the restrictions, according to a council report about the PSPO dated May 8.

Councillors at the call-in meeting on Tuesday had the option of sending the PSPO decision back to cabinet to reconsider, referring it to a meeting of full council or taking no action. They agreed by majority vote to take no action but make formal comments that there should be consultation with GTR groups about the illegal encampment measures and that future developments in the PSPO plan should be reported back to the council’s safer, stronger communities committee.

Got a story? Email robert.firth@reachplc.com.

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