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Real Estate News Releases
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(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 25, 2008 ) London, UK - Have you ever thrown open your curtains in the morning and been confronted with a gypsy site that has sprung up overnight? With the introduction of the Government’s new ‘land grab’ policy, you could well have a new view tomorrow morning…
The old saying ‘Not in my back yard’ takes on a new meaning with the UK Government’s dubious new policy. Now, not only will you have to look at the general mess that is a gypsy site, you could also be one of thousands of homeowners across Britain who could be forced to sell their land to make way for gypsies.
‘Don’t get me started,’ seems to be the most common response when asking opinions on gypsies and their nomadic, non tax paying lifestyle.
Desperate to build permanent sites for travellers and gypsies, the Government is launching what has been described as a Â’land grabÂ’, which could see fields and even private gardens converted into pitches for mobile homes. They are trying to provide pitches for around 25,000 travellers.
The Department of Communities and Local Government has set regional planners the target of coming up with sites for an extra 4,000 pitches and has provided £20million in grants to councils to create legal encampments.
Ministers insist the move will save money in the long run by cutting the £18 million spent annually on trying to evict travellers from illegal sites.
In the first phase of the land grab, the Government has given Epping Forest District Council in Essex instructions to create an extra 49 gypsy pitches by 2012, and then a further 43 by 2022.
How will they find this land? Well, itÂ’s not good news. If land is earmarked for the new sites and residents refuse to sell it to the Government, it could be compulsorily purchased at reduced value.
The Epping Forest District Council has also admitted that anyone wanting to build new housing estates in the area may be required to provide areas for traveller campsites.
The Council website says, “As a last resort there may need to be sites on other private land, wherever possible, we would seek the owners agreement, but as a matter of last resort the option of Compulsory Purchase is there.”
Epping Forest Tory MP Eleanor Laing said, “What is the point of all our work to protect people’s freedom and to make them feel secure in their own homes when a Labour Government can revert to the worst excesses of Communist dictatorships and compulsorily purchase bits of land next to people’s homes?”
Chris Whitwell, of Friends, Travellers and Families, said, “There are around 25,000 gypsies and travellers who do not have fixed places to live at the moment.
“We think that is disgraceful. The shortfall of pitches should be addressed as soon as possible. Gypsies have been in this country for 500 years, isn’t it about time people started to accept them?” added Mr Whitwell.
I think a lot of people would feel differently, Mr Whitwell.
For more information on commercial property in general please visit http://commercial.themovechannel.com/
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
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www.themovechannel.com
0207 952 7650
TheMoveChannel.com
Jon Moore
020 7952 7658
j.moore@themovechannel.com 
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