Welsh Government slammed by watchdog over lack of Traveller sites

Welsh Government accepts the findings of an Ombudsman for Wales investigation, which found that they had failed to ensure that local authorities are carrying out their duties to provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers

In a report published last week, the Ombudsman for Wales – an independent Welsh government watchdog - has upheld complaints made by two families who have been waiting for site provision in the areas they live, which their local authorities are required by law to provide. The Ombudsman for Wales has put the blame for the council inaction on the Welsh Government, saying that they failed to adequately monitor local authorities in carrying out their duties.

The report recommends that the Welsh Government apologises for the failings identified and the impact upon the families. The report also sets out further recommendations for Welsh Government to improve the way in which the assessment and provision of sites are monitored and carried out under the legislation.

“We are very glad that our complaint to the Ombudsman has been upheld,” said the two families who made the complaint in a statement released by the charity Travelling Ahead.

“It proves to the general public that this government was quick to pass legislation in 2014 to make sites for Gypsies and Travellers, but failed to monitor councils to make sure sites were provided,” they added.

“That has left Gypsies and Travellers, our families, and others, with no accommodation for years; despite the need being known through the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessments which councils have to carry out every five years.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson told the Travellers’ Times that the Welsh Government has accepted the findings of the Ombudsman’s investigation and recommendations.

“We accept all the recommendations of the report from the Public Services Ombudsman. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people are amongst the most marginalised people in society and face significant inequality,” said the Welsh Government spokesperson.

“We are working with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people themselves, partners and local authorities to meet their needs as a key part of our Anti-racist Wales Action Plan. We are providing capital funding of £3.44m in 2024-25 for local authorities to improve, extend or build new Gypsy and Traveller sites.”

The full statement from Travelling Ahead can be read below:

Travelling Ahead, the all-Wales Advocacy Service working with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities has issued the below statement given by the two complainants, who wish to remain anonymous:

“We are very glad that our complaint to the Ombudsman has been upheld. It proves to the general public that this government was quick to pass legislation in 2014 to make sites for Gypsies and Travellers, but failed to monitor councils to make sure sites were provided. This also gave councils the impression that they don’t have to abide by their legal duties in the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

That has left Gypsies and Travellers, our families, and others, with no accommodation for years; despite the need being known through the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessments which councils have to carry out every five years.

Please remember that there have been very few residential sites made across Wales and not one transit site has ever been developed anywhere in Wales since the legal duty came in – leaving us ( and the general public) frustrated with nowhere for our families to live permanently or park our vehicles while travelling – 10 years after the Act came in this lack of progress is shocking.

It is our belief that our councils have had no ambition at all to provide any type of cultural accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers and at no point has Welsh Government shown any willingness to make councils abide by the law despite the evidence and our complaints. Why would any council act when they are not monitored or spurned on to make sites? That’s why councils drag their feet.

We welcome these findings and are hoping that Welsh Government will now push councils in Wales to build residential and transit sites both for our families and all those others over Wales who need them as well.”

Travelling Ahead is pleased that the families’ complaints have been fully investigated and upheld by the Ombudsman – the service worked with the families to make sure their complaints were taken seriously and the publishing of complaint as a Public Interest report provides an opportunity for better progress to be made across all local authorities in Wales.

The Housing Act duty was brought in for a reason and it has been disappointing and frustrating for families across all of Wales that it has not led to the site provision it was intended to. Like the complainants we welcome the recommendations and hope they make a difference to families across all of Wales.

TT News/Travelling Ahead press release

(Photograph: Rover Way Traveller site, Cardiff. Many of the existing Welsh Traveller sites need repairs and maintenance (c) Katharine Quarmby)