Council set to reject 15 pitches suggestion

SOUTHEND Council are digging their heels in against any attempt to force the town to provide pitches for gypsies or travellers.

This became a big issue at the recent council elections over claims by the Tory administration that Liberal Democrat Coun Alan Crystall had supported the move at the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) that Southend should provide 15 pitches.

Now, though, Southend Cabinet, when it holds its first meeting today since the elections, will make it clear that they are opposed to providing any
pitches in future. Southend is one of only two authorities in Essex – Castle Point is the other – that doesn’t currently provide pitches at all.

Southend now says it wants that situation to stay – even though EERA say its should provide 15 pitches by 2011 and up to 20 between 2011 and
2021.

A report to today’s Cabinet meeting says it supports the policy of providing pitches “where need arises” – there is no need in Southend, it
maintains.

Secondly, it points out that economic and land constraints in Southend make it impossible to provide pitches. Finally, the report questions the ‘flawed methodology’ for the research undertaken on behalf EERA that led to the conclusion that Southend should provide 15 pitches.

The report says: “It is essential that pitches are supplied where there is an identified need and that this need is allocated on the basis of a sound evidence base, not by way of subjective and unscientific adjustments which spread the distribution to areas where there is no identified or established demand.

Difficult “Furthermore, it is evident from the landscape and setting of Southend that it would be very difficult to find suitable development sites appropriate for this type and level of accommodation.

“Gypsy and travellers would also find it problematical to find themselves suitable and affordable sites in Southend owing to the cost of obtaining and the difficulty finding available land given the limited resources in the borough creating high land values.”

On the few occasions that gypsies or travellers have attempted to settle in Southend there has been prompt action by the council to move them on.

The report to today’s meeting concludes: “The council reiterates and maintains its position in the previous round of consultation that Southend should have a zero requirement for additional pitches between 2006 and 2011 based on the premise that there is no identified or established need in the borough