Travellers in West Sussex seek Permanent Home in Action Taken to the High Court

03 April 2006

According to a 3 February 2006 article by BBC News online, Travellers living on an unauthorised site in West Sussex have taken their case to the High Court after two proposed travellers' site were rejected by the Crawley borough council. Having been continuously evicted from illegal sites for many years, the Travellers from Dalewood Gardens, Crawley began their action last year to seek a permanent home, preferably on a site in town.

In January 2006, proposals for a permanent site in the Pound Hill area and a transit site at Rowley Farm, off of James Watt Way were debated by the borough council. More than 1000 people attended the debate on 19 January 2006 which ended in the rejection of the proposals following fierce community opposition from the rowdy crowd. Members of the Traveller community of Crawley said they felt let down by the decisions and some held peaceful protests outside the meeting. The council has said that alternatives will be sought. As of 20 March 2006, the ERRC was unaware of further developements in the situation.

(ERRC, BBC)