One the main issues that local people have raised with me since I became an MP in June is the large number of unauthorised encampments which we experience here. Between February and August this year, on average, we witnessed one every 11 days – with issues arising in Brentwood, Pilgrims Hatch, Willingale and more.
Many of these encampments have caused significant disruption for local people and resulted in substantial financial cost to the police, to Brentwood Borough Council and to local landowners who have had to move the groups on, clear up fly-tipped litter and rubbish and, sometimes, repair criminal damage.
The week before last I spoke on this subject in a debate in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament and drew on the experiences of our area. I noted that law-abiding citizens often feel that the law is not on their side and that this is a dangerous place for society to be.
Locally everyone has been making great efforts to improve the situation. Brentwood Borough Council has wisely invested £150,000 in effective local defences against unauthorised encampments - but it is frustrating that that money has had to spent at all. We have seen some excellent action taken by our local Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst, who has created the Gypsy and Traveller Liaison Group to ensure the fastest possible response to unauthorised encampments. This has reduced the average time that it takes to move on an illegal encampment has reduced from 10 to two days.
Nationally, I’m pleased to say that the Government has launched a review of how current legislation works and I will be feeding into this process because there are certainly improvements that can be made. We should look at whether the same swift procedure that exists for Closure Orders could be applied to unauthorised encampments and we should consider new laws to make trespass a criminal rather than a civil offence – as is the case in Ireland. Both these changes would further help the police and council limit disruption to local people and help make sure the law was on their side. If you would like to feed in your own experiences please contact me through my website www.alexburghart.org.uk.
Alex's Westminster Hall speech may be viewed here: http://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/35e1fae6-2e59-4f08-a779-3a667c34ae7d