The Government is forcing Stratford District council and no doubt other Warwickshire councils to give free lands for Gypsies to live on. This is wonderful news for tax payers like myself who wouldn't be able to get so much as a free blade of grass off the government. It's good to see entire initiatives can be set up to give free land to those who don't pay any tax at all.

Bravo is all I can say!

How would it be if we all adopted the lifestyle?? It also smacks of the "Not in my back garden.." thinking by the council leader. In other words yes, there would seem to be some obligations there, however, move it elsewhere so it doesn't affect us.

Along with the "free land" seems to be the amazing ability to undertake construction of various facilities - seemingly over a few days - without the permits the rest of us are required to have.

I don't have an objection to people having a place to live, access to schools, medical and dental care but it needs to be paid for and it would seem that the longsuffering taxpayer gets clobbered.

But, it's ok. There is plenty of money in the coffers for goldplated pensions, amazing expenses allowances and plenty for the provision of free land.

There will always be those that genuinely need the assistance that is available and it should be given, but surely we all should follow the rules and the laws and surely the same legal action against the taxpayers should be applied to all groups in a fair society.

No, it isn't just you. That has always been my perception. Here today, gone tomorrow style of living, so yes, the need for permanent sites does raise questions.

Oooh, I wonder if the gypsy leaders will tolerate an adult adoption scheme, then I can have some of thier free land Seriously though, this is a modern approach towards captivation, taming, ordering and controlling. It enables the Government/ council to 'contain' a normally unquantifiable body of the population. It 'facilitates' education and healthcare or it is designed to. Social Healthcare in the provision of Health Visitors and Social Workers. They are bodies which attend to The Health Promotion of The family in its various guises. They can identify an unhealthy situation, attempt to correct it in Health Promotion and health education and are often at the front line(don't we know it) in Child Protection matters. Health and Education are the two things that are deemed essential ingredients for an 'intelligent' developing society. (Look it up in any social development handbook- no I haven't swallowed one ) Just for an example - Bulgaria attempted to do exactly the same by providing its own gypsy population with some of the old tenament blocks of flats. Unfortunately, they didn't count on the travellers old ways and habits staying 'stuck' They literally moved thier horses, chickens, etc in too with the family. The horse , kids, old and young go up in the lift if there is one or use the stairs. The infrastructure (the word 'Health Visitor' etc are not even translatable let alone to part of the society) to promote health and to educate' is not available as there isn't a free health service although medicine, dentistry and vetinary care are excellent. There you go to school because you're parents make you- no or little enforcement of a 'child's right to learn' there. However,We do have a 'free' health care system that is already over stretched, its resources often abused and with costs to the tax payer soaring, our education system is fast becoming the same way but we abide by The belief in statute of 'A child's right to learn' and we attempt to apply it.The trouble is why are we wasting overstretched resources by enforcing values on people who have never opted in and will still choose to 'be ' as they wish, want and will be? Oh yes, I think its called progress.

This 'problem' if it is one, has been with us forever . No real Romany, gipsy-traveller, (note I said real) , whatever they are called, will be tamed.
No government order will change things, and do you know, in this almost Big Brother country of ours with it's endless choking mass of new rules and restrictions,I must say it is refreshing to know that people are still kicking against the traces, and some of the old ways of life continue.
Many years ago I went to school with some of the 'occasional' gypsy kids who came for the odd week if they were in the area, and also some of the fairground people's kids. To me as a child it sounded a very romantic life-especially not having to go to school every day,(and not having to wash) even though there was a lot of hardship
, I still have a romantic dream about their life.I grew up on 'The Vagabond', 'Tewkesbury Road' 'The Pedlar' and other romantic poems of the open road.
I don't think permanent sites are a good thing unless it is for the people ill or aged. OK. perhaps they haven't paid taxes--some do-but there are enough 'others 'arriving every day for a handout so surely a few indiginous travellers can be helped--ok, more than a few.
There aren't many stopping places nowadays and they get moved onto somewhere else where there are still no stopping places , and so it goes on.
I'm not being realistic am I? I do know about untaxed cars and lorries, the mess a lot of them leave, and the damage and pilfering that goes on-and the cost to the taxpayer.
But I'd like to keep my dream please.