HAVE YOUR SAY
Your Village - Your Community - Your Home - Your School
Note to residents who completed their consultation document online
It has recently been reported that problems may have been encountered by residents who completed thier Gypsy & Traveller consultation online via the Epping Forest District website. Apparantely it has recently been revealed that some responses may be incomplete due a word limit restriction in response boxes. If you did complete your consultation online, it may be worth checking with Epping Forest District Council directly to ensure that your complete response was received.
The deadline for submitting your comments to the Epping Forest District Council consultation regarding potential gypsy and traveller sites expired on 20th February 2009.
Representatives of North Weald Residents Association hand delivered over 2000 completed responses from local residents to this consultation.
Help us by making a donation
The next step for North Weald Residents Association will be appoint an independent planning to carry out full surveys on the potential North Weald sites, in readiness for the next stage of the consultation process.
We need to raise funds for this, so if you would like to make a donation, no matter how large or small, please contact us.
Recent News:
Consultation Deadline extended
Some members of the NWRA have reported receiving a letter from EFDC stating "Due to the high demand for the consultation document, Epping Forest District Council are experiencing delays at their printers. The document will now not be available until December 1st 2008. As a result the consultation period will be extended to by two weeks."
BBC Highlights plight of Epping householder
Plans to create more places for gypsy communities are proving controversial in Essex. Katherin Carpenter from BBC News reports.
Daily Mail, 21st November - Fury over Gypsy plans
Fury over 100million plan for hundreds of gipsy sites across the country
By Michael Lea
Towns and villages across England are bracing themselves for 'bombshell' news on the location of hundreds of new and upgraded gipsy and traveller camps. Work on some of the proposed 7,500 extra pitches will get the go-ahead within weeks under a controversial £97million scheme. Targets imposed by the Government mean local authorities must provide a specified number of permanent sites with rubbish collection, running water, electricity and other services.
EPPING FOREST: Residents could be pitched off their own land for gypsies
PEOPLE across the district could be forced to sell their land as part of a controversial Government land grab policy to find gipsy sites, it emerged this week.
Residents have reacted with shock to news that their private land could be compulsorily purchased with little compensation.
A consultation document issued by Epping Forest District Council states: "It is very unlikely on the basis of proposals so far that sufficient suitable sites will be put forward by landowners, and gipsies and travellers themselves.
"It is possible that some very suitable sites may need to be brought forward, even though the landowner has either not brought it forward or opposes it."
Gypsy Plans highlighted in National Press
The issue has now come to the attention of the national press.
"THOUSANDS of homeowners across Britain could be forced to sell their land to make way for gypsy sites.
Private gardens and fields could be taken by the Government in a “land grab” to create permanent campsites for 25,000 travellers.
One council has already earmarked sites for 123 pitches including a family garden and land belonging to an elderly couple and adjacent to their home."
Online Petition organised
The Waltham Abbey and Sewardstone Residents Comittee have orgainised an online petition calling on the Prime Minsister to review the "National and Regional Policy Requirements on Development Plan Provision for Gypsies and Travellers"
Click here http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/essex-says-no/ to jump to the petition site