As soon as Cheshire East Council announced plans to build a permanent site for Gypsies and Travellers, some local residents became incensed. Just over a month later, they had organised into Crewe Against Traveller Sites (CATS) and delivered a petition to the front door of Downing Street.
It was signed by just 8% of the population of the city, who put their names to complaints that held little of substance. The underlying ethos, it seemed, was simply that the petitioners did not want this particular ethnic group anywhere near their homes.
Crewe Against Traveller Sites Delivers Petition to Downing Street
On November 21, 2011, four representatives of CATS travelled to London for a pre-arranged meeting in Downing Street. Conservative Councillor Derek Bebbington and his ousted colleague John Jones joined CATS Chairman Glenn Perris and petition organiser Chris Bell on the trip.
They were permitted to enter Downing Street, where they were met on the steps of Number 10 by Crewe and Nantwich Conservative MP Edward Timpson. He promised to see that the letter, which was addressed to David Cameron, would be delivered to the Prime Minister.
The accompanying letter reportedly condemned the proposed legal traveller site, raising issues of an 'improper use of tax-payers’ money, the existing housing deficit and the failure to follow a transparent, fair and proper process’.
Cheshire East Council and the Housing Act 2004
Cheshire East Council, as with every other council in Britain, has a legal obligation to provide permanent sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Show People. The Housing Act 2004 rendered it a statutory duty for all local authorities to assess the needs and existing provision for these communities. Under section 225, any deficiency in sites has to be addressed.
In compliance with the law, Cheshire East examined its current nomadic population and the sites available for their needs. It was determined that the borough legally had to provide between 27-42 pitches before the end of 2011, then a further 19-22 pitches before 2016. By October 2011, only 10 had been built, as site after site was deemed unsuitable.
Cheshire East Council's Transparent and Proper Planning Process
It was finally decided that 'a plot off Parkers Road/ Kent Lane in the Coppenhall area of Crewe' could possibly hold 12 pitches. A press release stating this was the impetus behind the CATS petition. Cheshire East included an assurance that, 'the planning application is expected to be submitted later in the autumn. Like any planning application, it will be subject to extensive consultation where people’s views will be considered before a decision is made.'
While Cheshire East Council struggles to fulfill its legal duties, it is difficult to imagine how much more transparent it could have been. CATS seem to have mistaken a partially read press release for a full planning process.
Contrary to the accusations of 'improper use of taxpayers' money', Cheshire East has attempted to ward off penalties for not meeting its quota. The proposal for 12 pitches came just three months before the end of 2011. Coupled with the ten extant sites, this still falls short of the minimum of 27 pitches that should have been constructed by the end of the year.
Crewe's Housing Deficit is Also Addressed
The wording of the CATS petition also seemed to imply that Cheshire East should be concentrating on homes for settled communities, rather than Gypsies and Travellers. Yet proposals for 1,110 new council homes have also met with stiff local opposition. Crewe and Nantwich Guardian reported that a Residents Action Group, backed by Labour councillors, is campaigning against this housing too. An estate of 400 council houses will be built along Parker Road, which is also where the proposed Gypsy and Traveller site could be situated.
It appears a little contradictory for CATS to include reference to a settled housing deficit, in its objections to the site, against such a background.
Is Crewe Against Traveller Sites a Racially Motivated Group?
The letter and petition, handed to 10 Downing Street, opened with an assurance that CATS were not acting out of racism towards Gypsies and Travellers. Cllr. Bebbington was also adamant, in his soundbites to the media, that 'we are not against other races'. Yet their main arguments appeared remarkably thin upon examination. Even their name is suggestive of an underlying agenda. They are not merely protesting against the proposed site in Parker Road, but 'traveller sites' per se.
Some of the comments on public forums seem to point to a racially motivated objection on the part of many protesting the site. The administrator of Crewe TV blog felt compelled to state, 'There is a lot of hate carried in some of the posts on this and the other "travellers" post. As you may know, I used to restrict a lot of comments that were nasty, aimed at individuals or were unfair.' However, (s)he thought that the strength of feeling on this issue meant that such opinions should not be removed from the forum.
An immediate response came from Glenn Perris, the CATS chairperson. He wrote, 'I have warned all supporters on my email list not to send nasty/racial emails to anyone of influence holding office within (Cheshire East Council). Obviously I cannot police this. Yes, there is fear and hatred running through our local community at present.'
A History of Hate Crimes Against Gypsies and Travellers in Crewe
Any proposed legal traveller site in Cheshire has generally met with objections from the settled communities. The result has been a severe deficit of such sites, leading to illegal sites regularly springing up around the county. Gypsies and Travellers parking up often have to contend with racist abuse and violence against them.
In one example, an elderly Gypsy lady was hospitalised, after a heart 'episode' caused by local residents throwing stones. On that occasion, there was also damage to traveller property, including racist slogans dubbed onto their fences.
CATS carries the veneer of being an action group. But its name, woolly reasoning and its targeting of a single ethnic group in Crewe suggests that it could well be a racist hate group.
Jo Harrington - Jo has a BA (Hons) in History and Philosophy and a MA in History. She has a book published on the history of Wicca.
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