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Are tensions between the settled and travelling communities easing or reaching crisis point?

Monday 21 July, 6.30pm

Three years ago, Eye On Wales looked at how Gypsy Travellers were faring in Wales. We found that they were struggling find places to stay. Has anything changed since then?

Kieran Joyce (pictured) wants a patch of land he can call home. He's an Irish Traveller who's lived in Swansea for thirty years, and has been moved on by Swansea Council more times than he can remember. He and his family currently live on the Swansea Vale Park and Ride car park in Llansamlet.

In spite of being given assurances that they could stay there as a temporary solution, the council sought a possession order and the case was recently heard. The court ruled that the Joyce family could stay there until autumn, and should negotiate a solution with Swansea Council. Eviction is still a possibility.

In Rossett near Wrexham, a group of travellers have decided to take matters in to their own hands. They bought an acre of land a year ago, and moved in on May bank holiday this year. Within a couple of days, they hard cored the land, and created six plots.

Their swift action caused controversy in the village, but the travellers themselves felt it was their only way to get a residential site. They are waiting for the results of their retrospective planning application.

Since our last investigation in 2005, policy towards Gypsy Travellers has changed in Wales. Local Authorities are now required to carry out a housing needs assessment of their Gypsy Traveller population as part of their wider housing strategy.

In addition, the Welsh Assembly Government has provided a new annual grant of £1.5million pounds to build new sites. This comes on top of the existing £1.7 million pound grant for site refurbishments.

Both Kieran and the travellers in Rossett will be keeping a close eye on how their Local Authorities act in the next few months. For them, it could mean the difference between having a home or being evicted yet again.