Improving Gypsy/Traveller sites: progress summary

Introduction

In 2013 the Scottish Parliament's Equal Opportunities Committee ( EOC) published a report, Where Gypsy/Travellers Live, which examined issues around the quality and quantity of Gypsy/Traveller sites provided by local authorities and registered social landlords ( RSLs). The report made a number of recommendations to improve Gypsy/Traveller site provision in Scotland.

Two of the areas highlighted by the EOC were the poor quality of some Gypsy/Traveller sites, and the need for site tenants to have consistent tenancy agreements across the country. The Gypsy/Traveller Site Working Group was formed in 2014, which provided the Scottish Government with expert advice and discussed ways of addressing some of the issues raised by the EOC. "Improving Gypsy Traveller Sites – Guidance on minimum site standards, and site tenants' core rights and responsibilities" were then developed and published in May 2015 with input from:

• Gypsy/Traveller site tenants;
• organisations who work with the Gypsy/Traveller community;
• the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers ( ALACHO);
• the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( COSLA);
• individual local authorities;
• organisations with expertise in housing.

They detail clearly the minimum standards we expect every local authority and RSL Gypsy/Traveller site to meet. They also set out the Scottish Governments expectation that all sites should meet the requirements by June 2018.