Hidden agenda in the last decade Localism and Housing Acts in the UK. Where is the good practice in East and West Midlands case studies?

Localism acts such as Act 2011 have always accompanied and reinforced Planning Acts. For example, in Planning Act 2008, National Policy Statements describe clearly a single commissioner’s role and tasks to handle application; they also define the cases in which the Secretary of State is a final decision-maker. Planning acts describe the meaning of ‘owner’, allocation of housing accommodation and acquisition of land. On the other hand, with the help of Localism Acts enforcing rules, regulations and continuous amendments, some local communities have successfully challenged Gypsy planning applications as in our case studies in East and West Midlands. Since several years and looking back in time, policy-makers and extremely conservative locals have always challenged planning applications of Gypsy individuals and communities by successfully repealing provisions of local authorities through petitions and other abusive behaviour at times. Although Housing Act promises to make provisions about housing, secure tenancy and also about mobile homes and the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers, it may also contain contradictory content in ‘schedules’, ‘service notices’ and ‘appeals to prohibition notices’, ‘management orders’, which may encourage locals to oppose local authorities decisions about Gypsy protected sites. However the most sinister decisions and campaigns against Gypsy sites and planning permissions have been triggered mainly by the Localism acts and by notions of who has the right to be a ‘local person’ having the right to make an application and/or acquire land to be used as a protected site.

Localism acts such as Act 2011 have always accompanied and reinforced Planning Acts. For example, in Planning Act 2008, National Policy Statements describe clearly a single commissioner’s role and tasks to handle application; they also define the cases in which the Secretary of State is a final decision-maker. Planning acts describe the meaning of ‘owner’, allocation of housing accommodation and acquisition of land. On the other hand, with the help of Localism Acts enforcing rules, regulations and continuous amendments, some local communities have successfully challenged Gypsy planning applications as in our case studies in East and West Midlands.
Since several years and looking back in time, policy-makers and extremely conservative locals have always challenged planning applications of Gypsy individuals and communities by successfully repealing provisions of local authorities through petitions and other abusive behaviour at times. Although Housing Act promises to make provisions about housing, secure tenancy and also about mobile homes and the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers, it may also contain contradictory content in ‘schedules’, ‘service notices’ and ‘appeals to prohibition notices’, ‘management orders’, which may encourage locals to oppose local authorities decisions about Gypsy protected sites. However the most sinister decisions and campaigns against Gypsy sites and planning permissions have been triggered mainly by the Localism acts and by notions of who has the right to be a ‘local person’ having the right to make an application and/or acquire land to be used as a protected site.