Councillor’s ‘invasion’ comment about unauthorised traveller camps in Milton Keynes sparks leader response

Milton Keynes Council’s cabinet receives regular updates on the emotive issue and what its officers are doing to stop settled communities from being disrupted.

“My ward has been one that has suffered something of an invasion this summer,” said veteran Lib Dem councillor Jenni Ferrans (Monkston), at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting.

Cllr Ferrans urged the council’s Labour rulers to speed up the process of stopping future incursions.

“I had two cases where nothing was done even weeks after,” she said. And in the intervening time, another camp appeared, she added.

She praised the council for “moving people on as fast as the law allows on council land” but wants better communications between the council and residents.

Council leader Pete Marland (Lab, Wolverton) said the use of the word “invasion” was not appropriate.

“Travellers, gipsies and other people mentioned in this report have a protected characteristic under the equalities act and therefore the use of the word invasion in any context is not appropriate and I would hope that’s noted,” he said.

Cllr Marland said the council aims to get the balance right between protecting the local settled community, and respecting the human rights of gipsies and travellers.

“There is a presumption among some people in the settled community that there is some sort of future where no travellers exist and those that do can be moved on within 30 seconds,” he said.

“It’s not being a bleeding heart liberal or super woke, it’s about recognising that the local community feels disrupted.

“Where it’s appropriate we will take action but we cannot make a whole ethnic group disappear, because it is not going to happen but we have to make the right provision.”

The meeting was told that the number of unauthorised camps has fallen from 207 in 2018 to 132 in 2019 and 72 to date in 2020. The number of complaints about camps has also dropped, according to the report.

But Tory councillor James Lancaster (Tattenhoe) said it was still an issue for him on a daily basis, and he had seen a 10 per cent increase.

He urged the council to spend the £60,000 it has left on building “defences” on sites.

“The council has been slow in dealing with the problem,” he said.

“There is still £60,000 of taxpayers money which could be used right now to improve defences at sites across the borough.”

Cllr Lauren Townsend (Lab, Bletchley West), the cabinet member for community safety, said Cllr Lancaster was wrong in saying the number of camps had increased.

“Some sites can’t be defended,” she added, and the council is being “prudent” with taxpayers’ money.

Cllr Robin Bradburn (Lib Dem, Bradwell) said the council’s employment of a liaison officer, who talks to the gipsy and traveller communities, is the “way to go” on reducing problems.