Agenda item

4.1  Councillor Ian Wingfield, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, responded to the grounds for call-in.  He explained that the travellers officer had visited Southwark’s four sites and had spoken to residents at Brierdale Close, Burnhill Close, Springtide Close and Ilderton Road.  The council had consulted Southwark Travellers’ Action Group (STAG) separately.  The travellers had not expressed any real opposition to changes to the pitch agreement but had expressed concerns over the practicalities of the allocations policy and how it would be implemented.  Councillor Wingfield confirmed that there had been no formal written responses to the consultation.

4.2  Members of the committee were concerned that consultation on the basis of a formal legal document was insufficient and felt that other methods of engagement had not been adequately pursued.  Councillor Wingfield agreed that different methods of consultation should be explored in the future and stated that he would welcome the contribution of STAG in this.  Members also reported that, while the travellers welcomed a greater security of tenure, there were details in the agreement that needed to be further considered.

4.3  The chair highlighted paragraph 10 of the Express Terms of Agreement, in respect of temporary absence from a pitch, and asked why this was not framed in accordance with the Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) guidelines.  Councillor Wingfield responded that the terms would be amended to bring them in line with the guidelines.  Members of the committee suggested that the requirement for an application to be made in writing needed to be reviewed and that this also applied to other parts of the agreement.  Councillor Wingfield indicated that the council would be talking to travellers and to STAG in order to improve the agreement.

4.4  The chair also drew attention to paragraph 6 of the terms of agreement, in respect of the keeping of animals on a pitch.  She again questioned the requirement for written applications and also whether the paragraph reflected general practice on pitches, in particular whether more than one animal could be kept.  She also suggested that clinics for micro chipping animals could be arranged with the police and RSPCA.  Councillor Wingfield responded that his issue needed to be looked at again in consultation with STAG and the travellers.

4.5  In respect of paragraph 5, relating to fire safety, the chair asked whether the requirement on travellers to provide and maintain smoke alarms and fire extinguishers was realistic.  She asked whether there was any possibility that the council or the fire authority could provide these.  Councillor Wingfield indicated that this could be looked into together with any resource implications.

4.6  The chair was concerned that there was an ongoing problem of lack of space for pitches.  She understood that the government had made money available for improvement of current pitches and increasing the number of pitches and asked whether Southwark had applied for any of this funding.  The strategic director of housing and community services indicated that she would report back on this issue.

4.7  The committee noted the work of the Health, Adult Social Care, Communities & Citizenship Scrutiny Sub-Committee in respect of maternal and toddler health on travellers’ sites.

  RESOLVED:

1.  That the decision be formally referred back to the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing Management for reconsideration.

2.  That the Deputy Leader bring back a report to the committee addressing the following areas of concern:

-  methods of future consultation

-  emphasis on requirement for various applications in writing

-  consent for keeping of animals to be for an appropriate number and consideration to be given to help in micro chipping

-  requirements and funding in respect of fire safety

3.  That the Strategic Director for Housing & Community Services report back to the committee on whether the council applied for government funding to improve or increase the number of pitches and, if so, whether this was successful.