The Relevance of Homelessness

If the Gypsy or Traveller who is facing eviction has made a homelessness application to a local authority (see further below on Homelessness), and if s/he is camping on a piece of the same local authority’s land, then it can be argued that s/he should be allowed to remain there while the homelessness application is progressed. Such an argument might be reinforced by reference to the advice in the 2006 Guidance and by reference to the new planning Circular 1/06. Within the 2006 Guidance there is a distinction drawn between ‘appropriate’ and ‘inappropriate’ locations for unauthorised encampments. Some local authorities have been taking a sensible approach in the case of Gypsies and Travellers who have made homelessness applications by allowing them to camp on ‘appropriate’ locations while their homelessness applications are processed.