Sensible action on traveller trespass

Over the last few weeks the regretful problem of traveller trespass has raised its head again. Despite the fact that the Conservative controlled council has continued to successfully fulfil its legal obligation of running two authorised traveller sites the constituency has had to face this frustrating issue once again.

After 13 years of Labour inaction, the local taxpayer is being forced to pay for waste on two fronts. Vastly expensive bills for waste removal and clean up from abandoned illegal traveller sites and Whitehall waste embodied by John Prescott’s ineffective top-down bureaucratic guidelines that have done nothing for the people of South Derbyshire.

We have still had to foot the bill for illegal traveller sites on playing fields, skate parks and private and public land in places like Hilton, Willington, Swadlincote and Castle Gresley despite the fact that the Council runs two separate and efficient traveller sites.

As a strong advocate of social responsibility I believe that different people from different communities should be free to lead their lives in different ways. But this freedom must come with a responsibility to the wider community. The vast majority of travellers some of whom live in our council run traveller sites accept this, but a very small minority do not.

Just like on far too many other issues, South Derbyshire residents have been ignored by this Labour Government and now is the time to elect a Conservative Government that will bring the sensible change we need. 

For too long the approach has been that of big government. Instead of encouraging a localised solution which allows Local councils and police to tackle the problem of unauthorised sites, the government has instead continued to give more precedence to the Human Rights Act rather than the people that act supposedly represents. It has made it more difficult and expensive to evict trespassers from private and public property and has overridden planning laws by allowing travellers to go ahead with unauthorised development.

A new Conservative Government would take immediate action by first of all replacing this act with a British Bill of Rights. We would also end Labour’s unrealistic top-down approach by boosting local government powers in respect of enforcement and introduce a new criminal offence giving the Police the power to arrest those who refuse to move having breeched this new Conservative law.  

I recently met with local Castle Gresley residents who feel let down by Labour’s inaction especially on the issue of traveller trespass.  One frustrated resident stated “I am tired of being ignored by this Government who simply do not listen or care about the concerns and needs of the people of South Derbyshire. Instead of fighting our corner they have allowed illegal trespass by travellers to go unpunished. I look forward to seeing the fresh local approach that a new Conservative Government would provide to tackle traveller trespass effectively and quickly. We have met with Heather on a number of occasions and know that on this issue like so many others she is committed to standing up for us in South Derbyshire”