Concerned at the ongoing mismanagement of the 11 Gypsy and Traveller sites in Hertfordshire, Drive2Survive has organised a meeting to bring residents together to fight for their homes, writes co-chair Sherrie Smith
On Tuesday the 22nd of October at 6.30pm there will be a public meeting for site residents of Hertfordshire Gypsy and Traveller caravan sites only. There will be no council representatives from the Gypsy section or any other Gypsy traveller organisation in Hertfordshire. This meeting will be a chance for residents to air their grievances about the way they're treated in Hertfordshire in a safe space. There will be time for you to talk and be listened to. This meeting has been organised by a small group of residents they have come together to challenge the way that they felt they feel their treated unfairly.
Electric is extortionate leaving many families in poverty. It is illegal under British law to reclaim debt using electricity metres. Even the water rates should not be taken using the electricity metres.
In August this year, The Travellers times, ( Herts County Council and the national scandal of councils supplying electricity to Traveller sites | Travellers Times ) investigated this and found that “Hertfordshire council are indeed playing fast and loose with the official guidelines for the supply of electricity to Travellers sites”. Residents have told us that clear statements are not given to them to clarify what electric has been consumed and if they are paying the correct amount. Many residents across all the sites in Hertfordshire are reporting daily costs of up to £25 per day. This is totally unsustainable for many.
Many of Hertfordshire’s site residents are ill, unwell, disabled, suffer from mental health issues and have children limiting their capabilities for work. Therefore, limiting their income. Hertfordshire County Council is pushing their site residents further into poverty. Because Hertfordshire County council’s The Gypsy Section obtains their electricity as non-domestic and then resupply it back to the site residents, residents lose out on cost cutting tariffs and energy price caps that are available to others in social housing. We have also found that the electricity cables and metres out of date, mismanaged, unsafe and unreliable. Power cuts are common to all the sites due to overload of the system. This cannot go on, as the cost of fuel climbs nationally, the cost of electricity for Hertfordshire site residents becomes untenable.
Over the last two years more and more rules have been implemented to further impair the quality of life of site residents in Hertfordshire. Indeed, many of these “Rules” are in breach of human rights articles. including hidden cameras, audio recording and CCTV cameras installed within lights. There is also a problem with unencrypted data, with managers having residents’ cameras connected to their private mobiles, taking residents contact details home with them which is risking a loss of data or private information. The council is also restricting residents from owning pets, having to register new caravans and certification before delivery with the “Gypsy section”. Residents must inform the “Gypsy section” if they go on holiday, and in the latest newsletter shown below distributed only yesterday to some of the sites residents are required to neuter their pets, whether they come under dangerous dogs’ acts or not, or face losing their plots.
In the most recent newsletter, it also states that complaints about the Gypsy section must be made to the Gypsy section. This is ridiculous as many residents report being harassed and tormented on a personal level when they make complaints. Some say they have been singled out and treated unfairly because of complaining. This makes residents feel oppressed and stuck in situations that are often illegal.
Rent paid by the Department for Work and Pensions is absorbed into a central pot of funding so therefore the onus is on the residents to contact the office every month. When residents have a change in benefits, they must top up the meter with the rent arrears, whilst Universal Credit pay their rent in arrears. Yet the bulk payments from Universal Credit are never credited to the resident’s meter. We need to know where does this extra money go??
The Gypsy sections have also devised a new tenancy agreement which stipulates residents are to only have one caravan on the pitch. This goes against our cultural beliefs; our young teenage boys and girls do not share caravans. Residents are only allowed one pet if agreed and neutered, the Gypsy section also wanted access to medical history, criminal records, and all kinds of other irrelevant information.
As one resident puts it who wishes to remain anonymous due to fear of being further persecuted by The Gypsy Section..
“The main issue for me is being grunted, it is very frustrating being treated like we stupid. We are meant to be looking after our family and children and our old people, but we are letting the council treat them differently because they are educated. I don’t know a lot, but I do know lots of travelling people and that they all know their being taken for fools but don’t want to get in to trouble with The Gypsy section or lose their homes. The electricity is first thing needs sorting as its crippling us, secondly us not able to get anywhere when we try for answers, we are ignored. Thirdly I think the biggest is racism amongst the proper council, Herts country council allowing this to go on… it is blatant racism 100%”
Another resident who again wishes to remain anonymous said, I just want to thank Drive2Survive, Sherrie Smith, Scarlett-Betsy and Claire Rice for helping us to finally challenge the county council and the Gypsy section back.
I am a Gypsy from Hertfordshire; I have known bits and pieces of the oppression that the site residents in Hertfordshire suffered over the last 10 years through relatives and friends. The situation has escalated so badly that in the last two years under the present Gypsy section management team there is virtually no maintenance being done on sites. Families are being picked on, threatened with reporting to social services, RSPCA, child services and losing their plots.
CCTV camouflage cameras are being illegally hidden in around the sites. Intruding in people's private lives. Trying to manipulate families against one another and so much more. I feel it was time a national organisation like Drive2Survive supported the Gypsy and Traveller communities in Hertfordshire. We have spent a lot of time recently sending off many Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, making complaints, helping residents to make official complaints, and now we are organising this residents meeting.
We need you as site residents to stand with us, you can do that anonymously through us. We will be organising a public demonstration against the treatment of the residents on the sites. We will not let our foot off the pedal, we will continue to support Hertfordshire site residents until we make some headway with unpacking racism prejudice and discrimination that is being suffered across the county.
Please contact me on WhatsApp 07852 916912 or you can request to join our Facebook group. Hertfordshire caravan site residents. If you WhatsApp or message me on Facebook. Sherrie Romany Smith then I will add you to this private group
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