We read with alarm the recent reports in the Epsom Guardian about the opposition to the potential gypsy and traveller site proposals by Epsom and Ewell Borough Council.
Our concerns are not over the validity of the proposals themselves, but over the nature of the debates and arguments that have followed.
We would like to remind you that Section 29 (6) of the Equality Act 2010, states the following: A person must not, in the exercise of a public function do anything that constitutes discrimination, harassment or victimisation.
Harassment is conduct which has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or which creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for a person.
Gypsies and travellers living on authorised sites pay rates, bills and taxes in the same way as people living in houses.
There are gypsies and travellers who are police officers, nurses, shop assistants, magazine editors, teachers and teaching assistants, lawyers and cleaners, as well as working in the more traditional trades. Gypsies and travellers also fought and died for this country in both World Wars.
Epsom and Ewell Council has a duty to provide housing for all its residents, including gypsies and travellers.
The new pitches are needed for local gypsy and traveller residents and are a tiny part of a development plan that includes over 2,000 new homes by 2026. This is not ‘one law for them and one law for us’, it is equality and it is fair; values that we have always been proud of.
When the proposals for new pitches finally come out and gypsies and travellers are again in danger of becoming a political football, can we please ask all the campaigners to mind their language and be aware of our common humanity. We trust we have your support on this.
We have contacted Rosemary Lloyd, a senior case worker at the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, to raise our concerns about the potential involvement of residents associations and Epsom and Ewell councillors in campaigns that may have a discriminatory element or contain prejudicial publicity and promotional material.
George Lister; chairman of Sussex Traveller and Gypsy Group
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