“It has to be said that the travellers claim to have to take this action as many sites they apply for are unsuitable. This is because cheap land is generally agricultural and not for development and for good reason. If they want to pay £1/2 million pounds and acre for proper residential building land then let them build whatever they want, thats the sort of price we have to pay!”

“John, you are 100% spot on.

The breaking of planning laws, and endless comptempt for them, is not only making the situations worse, but it as self fullfilling idea..........

Travellers build sites without planning permission, beacuse they feel the local people would oppose it, but the more they build without permission, the more the locals are against them. The Costalot site is a prime example.

Maybe some people seem to think that the planning laws are their for fun? And that people should be able to build whatever they want and wherever they want?

I have news for these people, there are planning laws in place. Use them.”

“The issure here is not travellers or any other ethnic group, it is law.
The law; and in this I include the legalities of planning, should be fair and firm for all, whether it is D in Groby with his conservatory or a gipsy development.

We should all be subject to the same regulations and requirements and subject to the same penalties for ignoring them.

So D in Groby if you erect your conservatory without permission you will be required to take it down.

Failure to do this will rsult in steps to do this for you, therefore the same standards must be applied across the board and include 'travellers' who want to become 'settlers'.”

“I think the problem that many people have is that there appears to be a 'one rule for some people and a different rule for the rest of the population' policy happening. I agree that there might be hard working Travelling families and we only hear about the bad but the fact remains that they have chosen their way of life and have the same oppotunities to observe the law in their way of life that we have.

I think if we saw the Goverment and Local Councils enforcing the law equally across Travellors and the rest of the community . I for one would not like the site so close to my house but at least the process would have been a fair one with the same penalties we recieve!.”

“The 'Traveller' debate goes on and there are a lot of deep routed opinions and people are entitiled to them. But there are some facts that really can't be debated. To DD, Leicester. The idea that Travellers have DECIDED not to put down roots, that they have choosen to travel must be challenged. Travellers and Gypsies are one of the three oldest LEGALLY recongnised ethnic minority communities in Britain. Being a Traveller isn't and adjective, it is the description of their cultural identity that spans back oner 1500 years. In the same way that we refer to people as Asian even if they are born and raised here, it describes their common beliefs, origins, language etc. Also to Lisa Morris, I'm fairly sure that terms like 'ravaged' are unhelpful in these debates - we're not talking about the Vikings here we're talking about a group of people that have bought and own land and now want to do something with it. People, like you and I that want a future for their children and a place to call home. Yes it would be great if they had and could progress legally and successfully but past experience has shown clearly the it is, s many have said, one rule for one... If I was to ask for an extension at least I'd get a fair hearing, not the case for Travellers. I urge all of you to contact your local Gypsy and Traveller Laision officer and ask for the opportunity to meet with some Travellers, there will be events all over June (Traveller & Gypsy History Month).”

“The whole council thing is rubbish. its just amazing that we continue to live in a beautiful part of the country and not be driven out. The site needs to be torn down...it is illegal.”

“Surely Matt, being in limbo is exactly their own choice. They have decided not to plant firm roots and live in houses but they want the lifestyle that allows them to up and go whenever they like, the fact is this is still against planning laws and they have done it illegally, they should be removed immediately. Living in limbo means no fixed abode and you cant just make any field your home when you like.”

“Amazing, I'm currently in lenghty communications with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council regarding erecting a Conservatory to my property. I have been passed around from pillar to post with no one willing to offer advice on the new planning laws.

I'll build it and then apply later. Thanks HBBC!”

“Matt, Leicester - perhaps not though..........

You see the reason why the locals are so angry is that a few years ago, travellers did the same, 100m down the road from this site, and created Costalot.

The Goverment then decided that Costalot was too big for them to pull down, and therefore let it stand. It now has 30 familes on it.

This 'new' site is next to Costalot, and is an area about 3 times as large.

So a precident has already been set in this area. Its Crays Hill Mark 2.”

“It's not quite the same as building an extension though is it Keith? You already have a house, a place to live, your extension is well, an extension of your residence whereas they are building the basis or foundations necessary to live.

That's not me saying that I think what they've done is fine and dandy but I can understand to an extent why they may feel they HAVE to break the law, because otherwise they would be in limbo. Of course there are plenty of people who would argue that this is not the case and that there are plenty of sites they could use legally whilst waiting for planning permission, so perhaps haven't been completely backed into a corner.

Going back to your extension though, you could go ahead and build it and apply for planning permission retrospectively, its just that when or if you fail to get permission it would be THEN that you are ordered to pull it down - perhaps that's what will happen to the gypsies.”