Opinion: Deprivation by Design - How Council Gypsy and Traveller Sites Are Being Allowed to Fail
Across the country, many Local Authority-run Gypsy and Traveller sites are being allowed to fall into serious disrepair. This is not accidental, and it is not the fault of the families who live there ... writes Claire Rice
Time and again, the narrative pushed by councils and the wider system is that poor conditions are the result of “lifestyle,” “choice,” or “lack of care” by residents. This narrative is false, harmful, and deeply dishonest. Anyone who has actually spent time on these sites knows the truth: individual living quarters are often spotless, children are cared for, homes are kept with pride — yet families are forced to live within infrastructure that is unsafe, outdated, and neglected by the very landlords who are legally responsible for it.
A Pattern of Dilapidation, Not Isolated Failures
While not every Local Authority site is in crisis, too many are — and the issues repeat themselves with alarming consistency:
• Chalets and amenity blocks that are literally falling apart
• Inadequate or nonexistent heating systems
• Eye-watering electricity costs due to inefficient infrastructure
• Chronic damp, mould, and condensation
• Failing plumbing, sewage and drainage systems
• Roads full of potholes, broken lighting, unsafe walkways
• Overgrown trees, unmanaged green areas, and dumped refuse
• Persistent vermin infestations
• Hazardous environments, including proximity to industrial sites
• Asbestos left unmanaged for years
These are not cosmetic issues. These are health hazards, especially for elders, children, and people with serious medical conditions.
This Is Not About Residents — It Is About Landlord Failure
Let’s be absolutely clear:
The deprivation seen on many sites is not caused by residents.
Families do not control:
• Site-wide heating systems
• Electrical infrastructure
• Water supply and sewage
• Road surfaces and drainage
• Waste collection arrangements
• Tree management and land safety
• Environmental hazards
All of these fall squarely under landlord responsibility — and when the landlord is the Local Authority, that responsibility is being routinely ignored.
In any other form of housing, these failures would trigger enforcement action. Yet on Gypsy and Traveller sites, they are often normalised.
A Legal Framework That Fails the Community
One of the root causes of this neglect lies in outdated and incomplete legislation.
The Mobile Homes Act was never truly designed to protect residents on Local Authority Gypsy and Traveller sites. Subsequent amendments have strengthened rights — but overwhelmingly for private park home residents, not Local Authority sites. This has effectively created a two-tier system:
• Park home residents have clearer enforcement routes
• Gypsy and Traveller site residents are left in legal limbo
Crucially, Local Authority Gypsy and Traveller sites are not clearly recognised as social housing. This exclusion has devastating consequences.
Locked Out of Social Housing Protections
Because sites are not fully included within the definition of social housing:
• Residents struggle to access the Housing Ombudsman
• Repairs and maintenance standards are weaker or unenforceable
• There are no clear timelines for urgent or non-urgent repairs
• New protections around damp and mould often do not apply
• Budgetary neglect goes unchallenged
• Accountability mechanisms simply do not function
In effect, families are paying rent for accommodation that would be unlawful in any other social housing setting — yet they have no meaningful route to enforce their rights.
Mismanagement, Under-Investment, and Disrespect
This situation did not arise overnight. It is the result of:
• Chronic under-investment
• Sites treated as a “problem” rather than housing
• Lack of political will
• Poor oversight and opaque decision-making
• A culture where Traveller accommodation is seen as expendable
When councils fail to maintain infrastructure, they then point to the visible consequences of neglect as justification for further neglect. It is a vicious cycle — and one that would not be tolerated in mainstream housing.
The Human Cost
Behind every broken system are real people:
• Children growing up in freezing homes
• Elders living with damp-related illness
• Families paying extortionate utility bills just to stay warm
• People afraid to complain because of fear of retaliation or eviction
And yet, despite all this, families continue to maintain their homes with dignity and pride. That resilience should not be mistaken for acceptance.
Recognition Is the First Step to Justice
Until Local Authority Gypsy and Traveller sites are:
• Fully recognised as social housing
• Covered by the same legal standards
• Subject to the same oversight and enforcement
• Treated with the same respect
— deprivation will continue to be built into the system.
This is not about special treatment.
It is about equal treatment.
A Call for Accountability
The deterioration of many Local Authority sites is not inevitable. It is the result of decisions — and decisions can be challenged.
Residents deserve:
• Safe, warm, habitable accommodation
• Infrastructure that meets modern standards
• Legal protections that actually work
• A system that listens rather than dismisses
The spotlight must now shift away from blaming residents and onto those with power, budgets, and legal responsibility. Until it does, the neglect will continue — quietly, invisibly, and unjustly.
And that is something that must be exposed.
By Claire Rice
Regular Travellers Times contributor Claire Rice is a Romany Gypsy campaigner who lives in Essex. Claire has in the past worked as an advocate for Herts GATE, and now works for GaTEssex and Drive 2 Survive. Claire is educated to postgraduate level and has a Masters Degree in Criminology.
(Lead Image: Still from Turning Point video by Percy Dean)
FURTHER READING: CLAIRE RICE ON WHY THE MOBILE HOMES ACT IS FAILING TO PROTECT GYPSY AND TRAVELLER RESIDENTS ON LOCAL AUTHORITY-RUN TRAVELLER SITES: Opinion: Why the Mobile Homes Act is still failing residents on local‐authority sites in 2026 | Travellers Times