In June 2018 the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) introduced new guidance on unauthorised encampments, Operational Advice on Unauthorised Encampments, to replace the previous Association of Chief Police Officers’ Guidance on Unauthorised Encampments (2011). The new NPCC Advice can be found here: http://www.npcc.police.uk/documents/Unauthorised%20Encampments/NPCC%20Op%20Advice%20on%20Unauthorised%20Encampments_June%2018.pdf
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Consultation: Powers for Dealing with Unauthorised Development and Encampments
RESPONSE OF COMMUNITY LAW PARTNERSHIP AND RUSTON PLANNING LTD
Introduction
The Community Law Partnership (CLP) is an award winning, progressive firm of solicitors specialising in the law relating to Housing and Public Law. CLP incorporates the Travellers Advice Team (TAT) – a ground-breaking nationwide 24 hour advice service for Gypsies and Travellers. Ruston Planning is a planning consultancy that specialises in running planning appeals for Gypsies and Travellers.
Review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (“LASPOA”)
Submissions from The Community Law Partnership
Introduction
Community Law Partnership is an award-winning progressive firm of Solicitors specialising in the law relating to Housing and Public Law. CLP incorporates the Travellers’ Advice Team, a ground-breaking nationwide 24 hour advice service for Gypsies and Travellers.
The Law on Consultations and the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government Consultation on Powers regarding Unauthorised Development and Encampments
Marc Willers QC, Garden Court Chambers and Chris Johnson, Community Law Partnership
In this paper we consider whether the recent consultation paper on unauthorised encampments and developments issued by the Minister for Housing Communities and Local Government is susceptible to challenge by way of judicial review.
Samuels v Birmingham City Council – Supreme Court Grants Permission
In October 2015 the Court of Appeal dismissed Ms Samuels’ appeal against the decision of HHJ Worcester, dismissing her s204 homeless appeal against the decision of Birmingham City Council that she was intentionally homeless because she could have made up the shortfall between her rent and her Housing Benefit from her subsistence benefits, but failed to do so. http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2015/1051.html
Homelessness in Birmingham – A Case Study
On Tuesday afternoon 29th March 2018, our Housing Team were all out of the office being trained re: the Homelessness Reduction Act, which was to come into force the following week, when the mayday call came in. A street homeless family in the waiting room at 3.30 pm. One of our partners hot foots it back to base. Mum and Dad, twins aged 3, and a 5 month old baby had been evicted from a Birmingham City Council (BCC) hostel the day before, without notice.
Defining Travellers out of Existence – An Analysis
Thanks to Tessa Buchanan of Garden Court Chambers for her comments on this paper.
In August 2015, the new Planning policy for traveller sites (PPTS) was published by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (SSCLG – as he then was[1]). This introduced a number of amendments to the Government guidance on planning issues relating to Gypsy and Traveller sites. Many of these changes were regarded as detrimental to the interests of such applicants, but perhaps the most controversial has been the amendment made to the definition of Gypsy/Traveller contained in Annex 1 of the PPTS. This definition governs who will, and who will not, be regarded as a Gypsy or Traveller for planning purposes and therefore who will, and who will not, be entitled to the more permissive regime of the PPTS. It is a question of immense importance both to local planning authorities and to individual applicants.
[1] Now the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
The Unlawful Use of Public Spaces Protection Orders
by Chris Johnson, Marc Willers QC and David Watkinson
What are Public Spaces Protection Orders?
A public spaces protection order (PSPO) is an order issued by a local authority which is designed to tackle activities carried on in a public place which have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in its locality and which prohibits specified things being done in a restricted area or requires specified things to be done by persons carrying on specified activities in that area, or does both of those things.
Interventions
Chris Johnson of CLP and Tim Jones of No 5 Chambers have done a paper on interventions (typically by support or campaigning groups) in judicial review cases. You can find their paper in our Articles section here:- http://www.communitylawpartnership.co.uk/articles/interventions.
Definition Challenge
We are pleased to inform readers that Mrs Nunn and her family have finally found a permanent home. However this does mean that her challenge to the new definition of Gypsy/Traveller has become academic and will have to be withdrawn.