, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Does the representative from Cardiff wish to say something on this, because they have live experience?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
I just want to ask one specific question to anybody who wants to answer it, really, just for me with what I find is the confusion in the rules. As I understand it, you can use the grant to refurbish a site, but you can't use the grant to maintain a site. Is…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Diolch. Robert from Pembrokeshire wants to come in.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Thank you. Before we come to the other hand up, can I just press you on that, Elliw? There's been an uptick in applications—does that indicate, do you think, that relationships are improving and that the situation is strengthening?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Okay, thank you. Does anybody else have any contributions they'd like to make on the way that the capital grant can be used or how the rules could be streamlined?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Okay. Can I just jump in? Thank you. So, I understand both sides of the point of view here, I'm just trying to grapple towards a solution. If there is concern from the Government that local authorities need to have genuine skin in the game, and on the other…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Okay, thank you. So, on the point about feasibility, I can see the prima facie case for allowing feasibility costs to be used for the grant, but let me just play devil's advocate here a little, because the weight of the evidence we've heard this morning is…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Sure, and that's what I'm trying to test with the witnesses. So, is it fair to say that there's a low or inconsistent understanding of the what the guidance says, or would it be helpful to clarify it? That's what I'm trying to tease out here; I'm not trying…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
So, I'm not surprised that there's misunderstanding. I just want to clarify: do you think it is fair to say there is low understanding?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
So, it's fair to say that there's a low level of understanding amongst local authorities of what this grant can be used for. Would that be fair?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
You haven't tested that, have you? You haven't enquired about the ability—
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
If I could press you on those two points. You mentioned, first of all, on the latter point about acquiring private land—the guidance, as I understand it, has been extended to allow the grant to be used to purchase private land in exceptional circumstances…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
—as we want to do. So, you think that there should be more flexible criteria, essentially, for the way that the grant is administered? Okay. Thank you.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
So, just to be clear, we're not the Welsh Government, we're the Senedd and we scrutinise the Welsh Government, but we can make recommendations to the Welsh Government—
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
What would you change about it?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up —Evidence session 2
Thanks. Just to continue on the theme, really, I want to ask specifically about the Gypsy/Traveller sites capital grant and how you find this operationally. It seems to me to be quite a muddled set of guidance and criteria, and I just wonder, in terms of the…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Okay. Thank you.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Sure. Okay. But that's an area you think, a practical way—. You think it would be helpful if we were to think about recommendations in that area.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Do you have a sense of how many local authorities do that?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
On the point about the difficulty in disposing of rubbish and recycling, do you have any practical suggestions of how that can be addressed?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
It does, and I completely understand your point on the rights. In terms of the responsibilities of Gypsy/Traveller communities to their neighbours, there is often a perception from residents about anti-social behaviour. How do you think that that's best…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Okay, thank you. Can I ask you a more general question about just the relationship with communities, because as you said earlier, many Gypsies and Travellers feel very stressed about the reception they receive in areas they move to? Obviously, from a local…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
No, that's absolutely fine. Do you have any general thoughts on the way that local authorities are able to use funds to support the development of sites?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Yes, so, certainly there have been years where there has been significant underspend, and as you rightly said, one year, there was no spend at all, but that has improved. So, it does seem to be a situation that's getting better, but I was just wanting to…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
The provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers: Follow up—Evidence session 1
Thanks. I'd like to understand the Gypsy and Traveller sites capital grant a bit better. It seems quite muddled to me. I wonder if you could just give me your general view on the grant and the way it's used, and the guidance and criteria around it.
