Agenda item

Consider report by Director Social Work and Practice.  (Copy attached.)

With reference to paragraph 9 of the Minute of 16 December 2021, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Director Social Work and Practice providing an update on the facilities and amenities for Gypsy/Traveller families in Scottish Borders.  It had become apparent that the Council needed to review the arrangements in place for this group, specifically the provision of stopping places and sites.  Experience during the COVID restrictions had confirmed existing provision was neither adequate nor flexible enough to meet the requirements.  For some time the designated site for Gypsy/Travellers in the Scottish Borders had been an area at the Tweedside Caravan Park, Innerleithen.  There were nine specific pitches for Gypsy/Traveller families.  This was a seasonal site with no access during the winter months, and this seasonal accessibility therefore designated the site as temporary provision.  The site was leased on a commercial basis to the site operator, with the lease arrangements commercially sensitive and confidential.  Pitch numbers had reduced during the Covid restrictions.  It was generally accepted that rent arrears and/or previous tenancy difficulties would be grounds to refuse access.  In 2019, Scottish Borders Council formalised the approach to Gypsy/Traveller unauthorised encampments by appointing an officer (Community Safety Policy Officer) in a support role as Gypsy/Traveller liaison.  Based within the Safer Communities Team, this role was to ensure a consistent approach and compliance with Scottish Government guidance.   During the COVID restrictions the Scottish Government issued the COVID-19 Framework for Local Decision Making on Gypsy/Traveller Support – June 2020.  This set out the need for access to sanitation, services and healthcare while minimising unnecessary travel and Victoria Park, Selkirk had been utilised for this purpose.  Updated guidance and a lifting of restrictions had enabled the site to be decommissioned as a COVID response and returned for commercial tourism from 30^th June 2022.  Since early 2020 much of the work relating to Gypsy/Travellers had been led from within the Safer Communities Team, with the original remit restricted to unauthorised encampments.  The report provided updates to the position of sites contained in the December report and proposed a way forward.  Mr. Easingwood and Mr. Jones answered Members’ questions including the operation of the Innerleithen site.  Members generally welcomed the paper but asked that a timescale for a further report be added.  Councillor Thornton-Nicol therefore proposed the addition of an extra recommendation (e) “that a paper was brought to Council in October 2022 detailing the outcome of the consultation and providing an indicative timescale for the next steps and actions”.  This was seconded by Councillor Pirone and unanimously approved.

DECISION

AGREED:-

(a)     to note the use of Victoria Park, Selkirk as a temporary Gypsy/Traveller site during the COVID response would end on 30^th June 2022;

(b)     to note the progress made with the operator of Tweedside Caravan Park, Innerleithen who had introduced an occupancy agreement for Gypsy/Travellers that met the Scottish Government’s minimum standards for Gypsy/Traveller sites, and Scottish Housing Charter requirements as regulated by the Scottish Housing Regulator;

(c)     to support the design of a consultation process with existing Gypsy/Traveller families and national Gypsy/Traveller representatives in developing the Local Housing Strategy and future need as per the requirements of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001;

(d)     that Galafoot ceased to be a credible option as a site to consider for additional Gypsy/Traveller capacity for the reasons outlined in the report; and

(e)     that a paper would be brought to Council in October 2022 detailing the outcome of the consultation and providing an indicative timescale for the next steps and actions.