Council identifies potential sites for travellers

Pleasant Place Garden is one of several proposed sites in Islington

Islington Council has proposed nine potential travellers' sites after years of failed attempts to secure suitable land.

The plan, which could provide up to 13 permanent pitches in the borough, has been welcomed by campaigners, though is likely to face local opposition.

Under the Housing Act 2004, local authorities have to identify and meet the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers.

The council began its search for suitable sites for the community several years ago but until now has been unsuccessful in finding or delivering "culturally appropriate" land in the borough.

Philomena Mongan, a Hackney-based Irish Traveller advocating for the community, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service families were "very happy" to see the new sites put forward for consultation.

Although she believes the sites are small, she praised the council for "pushing" for them to be delivered.

But she also shared her dismay that the plans had provoked a backlash, including responses that were removed from the official consultation report because of discriminatory remarks.

Ms Mongan said: "They don't realise these families have a lot of history in Islington and have been there a long time."

'Desperate for pitches'

In 2019, a review commissioned by the council found most of Islington's Gypsy and Traveller community had lived in the borough for years, with some households having arrived in the 1970s in caravans and intermittently pulling up there for a time.

But as these communities found it harder to travel this way, some have opted to move into brick-and-mortar housing.

Nancy Hawker, policy officer at London Gypsies and Travellers (LGT), said these families in the borough were "desperate for pitches" and blamed the failure to find suitable land earlier on "extensive" campaigning against the council's proposals by those objecting it.

Members of the Gypsy and Traveller community at Islington Town Hall

Over 250 sites in the borough were considered before a shortlist of nine was drawn up, which includes land on housing estates such as Aubert Court and Mayville, as well as Pleasant Place Garden.

Some local residents who took part in an earlier engagement asked the council to look at available sites outside of Islington, arguing that the borough was already too densely-populated.

Others called for "robust" evidence that the Gypsy and Traveller community have lived in the borough for more than five years.

The council said there would not be a public meeting to discuss the proposal because of the "potential for hostile or discriminatory comments and opinions to be expressed".

Instead, residents are asked to submit comments online in a consultation which is set to run until next month.