Gypsy
Why Gypsies/Travellers pursue a travelling lifestyle
Their way of life means that they travel the country staying for various periods of time in different locations, in order to earn a living. This has been their way of life for many generations.
Education for Travellers
Whether dealing with authorised or unauthorised encampments, we work with families to ensure children of school age have access to education.
Our Minority Ethnic and Traveller Achievement Service (METAS) 
can help Gypsy, Traveller, Fairground and Circus parents with getting their children into school. The Traveller Service has an advisor, a Teaching Assistant and a home/school support worker who can help with admission/attendance issues and supporting Gypsy/Traveller children while they are in schools in Poole.
The Service also supports schools by giving advice, guidance and training for schools working with Gypsy/Traveller children and support in developing partnerships with Gypsy/Traveller parents. For further information on education support for Travellers please contact the Minority Ethnic and Traveller Achievement Service.
Unauthorised encampments
We ensure that if unauthorised encampments are set up, they are managed quickly and efficiently to meet the needs of
- the Gypsies or Travellers
- the local community
In such cases, we make an assessment of the Gypsies/Travellers needs and agree with them a reasonable time when they will move on. In all cases the site is visited and every effort made to make sure that the Gypsies/Travellers keep the site tidy and do not cause public health problems. This sometimes means that refuse collection facilities may be provided for this purpose.
If during the course of their stay, they cause a nuisance or damage the environment, we would take formal action to remove the encampment.
Reporting an unauthorised encampment
We work very closely with the Police to manage unauthorised encampments.
If you need to report an unauthorised encampment, please use our report it service or contact us e-mail or phone 01202 261700.
Removing an encampment
If they are camped on our land we can take action. If they are on private land the landowner will have to take action. The Government has advised that when Gypsies/Travellers are not causing a problem, the site may be tolerated.
Council Land
Before we can remove them we must:
- show that the Gypsies/Travellers are on the land without consent;
- make enquiries regarding the general health, welfare and children's education;
- ensure that the Human Rights Acts 1998 has been fully complied with;
- follow a set procedure in terms of proving ownership of land and details of the illegal encampment that will enable us to
- successfully obtain the necessary authority from the Courts to order the Gypsies/Travellers to leave the site.
This process may take a while and we have to obtain a Court hearing date. The Court can refuse to grant us an order to move Gypsies/Travellers on if there is an unavoidable reason for the Gypsies/Travellers to stay on the site, or if the Court believes that we have failed to make adequate enquiries regarding the general health and welfare of the Gypsies/Travellers.
Private Land
The landowner can:
- talk to them to see if a leaving date can be agreed.
- take proceedings in the County Court under the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 to obtain a Court Order for their eviction. There must be a minimum of two clear days between service of documents and the Court hearing.
Unless the landowner has already obtained planning permission for a caravan site or is a farmer and the Gypsies/Travellers are helping with fruit picking etc., then the landowner could be in breach of the Planning Acts and the Acts dealing with the licensing of caravan sites. You may wish to contact us for further advice since we may take action against the landowner if the encampment is illegal.
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