Gypsies and Travellers

About Gypsies and Travellers

Most people know very little about Gypsies and Travellers and may be unaware that the population in Devon includes a significant number of Gypsies and Travellers. These days, the majority of Gypsies and Travellers live in houses rather than caravans or vehicles, this is due to a number of reasons, including: a lack of permitted sites, legislation changes relating to common land and stopping places, and for health and education reasons.

Statistics demonstrate that Gypsies and Travellers have the poorest life chances of any ethnic group today and experience particularly poor outcomes in terms of life expectancy, health, education and employment. Many of the challenges the community faces are exacerbated by a lack of suitable accommodation and experiencing discrimination in every aspect of their lives.

The population in Mid Devon mainly comprises of Romany Gypsies, New Travellers and Travelling Showmen. There is a long history of Gypsies and Travellers living in Mid Devon, some families claim a local heritage over three hundred years. Mid Devon has a number of permanent Gypsy and Traveller sites in Mid Devon and Showman yards. Currently Mid Devon doesn’t have a Council owned public site.

Please note: In light of the current Covid-19 national lockdown and in accordance with MHCLG advice, Mid Devon District Council will not be conducting the January 2021 Caravan Count. MDDC are not required to report this data on this occasion.

Hate Crime Reporting

The Gypsy and Traveller community are known to frequently be victims of hate crime. Mid Devon District Council has signed the Zero Tolerance to Hate Crime Pledge. Reporting an incident is easier than it ever has been and can be done through the following links:

You can anonymously report hate crime incidents using the independent GATE Herts tool here: http://reportracismgrt.com/   

You can also report directly to the Police through the True Vision website: http://www.reportit.org.uk/your_police_force

Policy for Unauthorised Encampments

• Annex A - Procedure for Managing and Enforcing Unauthorised Encampments
• Annex B - Unauthorised Encampments Flowchart
• Annex C - Unauthorised Encampments Five Stage Procedure
• Annex D - NPCC Operational Advice on Unauthorised Encampments