Greater London Authority and London Gypsies and Travellers
Abstract
Travelling is a significant part of Gypsies and Travellers’
culture and way of life and many families continue to
travel in and around London following in the footsteps of
past generations. Being able to stop in safe and secure
conditions and having access to basic facilities such as
sanitation and waste disposal are essential to travelling.
Negotiated stopping is a balanced and humane
approach to managing roadside camps, based on a
mutual agreement between the local authority and
Gypsy and Traveller families on matters such as
correct waste disposal and basic temporary facilities,
sometimes directing Gypsy and Traveller communities
away from contentious public spaces to more
appropriate council land.
This approach is proven to achieve significant savings
in public spending and decreased social costs for
Gypsy and Traveller communities. However, across
London the preferred approach for most local
authorities is rapid eviction of roadside families which
has significant negative impacts
