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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/mar/29/councils-tougher-powers-traveller-sites
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Councils to get tougher powers to tackle Traveller sites | Councils to get tougher powers to tackle Traveller sites |
| (6 months later) | |
| Councils will be given stronger powers to stop illegal Travellers' sites being set up, communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles has announced. | Councils will be given stronger powers to stop illegal Travellers' sites being set up, communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles has announced. |
| Local authorities are constrained in taking immediate action against caravans used as a main residence that they suspect are in breach of planning rules, but Pickles has said the regulations will be scrapped. | Local authorities are constrained in taking immediate action against caravans used as a main residence that they suspect are in breach of planning rules, but Pickles has said the regulations will be scrapped. |
| The move is aimed at preventing another incident like Dale Farm, where a long-running legal battle was fought before bailiffs moved in to evict Travellers from the site in Essex. | The move is aimed at preventing another incident like Dale Farm, where a long-running legal battle was fought before bailiffs moved in to evict Travellers from the site in Essex. |
| Pickles said: "Drawn-out cases like Dale Farm threatened to bring the legal system into disrepute. I'm determined that we do all we can to avoid situations like that in future. In breach of planning law, Travellers move in over a bank holiday weekend and it can take years for councils to remove them. Such episodes give the whole Travelling community a bad name and fuel community tensions. | Pickles said: "Drawn-out cases like Dale Farm threatened to bring the legal system into disrepute. I'm determined that we do all we can to avoid situations like that in future. In breach of planning law, Travellers move in over a bank holiday weekend and it can take years for councils to remove them. Such episodes give the whole Travelling community a bad name and fuel community tensions. |
| "But these new powers will stop those caravans in their tracks. By making these changes, we will stand squarely behind those who play by the rules and use the full force of the law against those who break them." | "But these new powers will stop those caravans in their tracks. By making these changes, we will stand squarely behind those who play by the rules and use the full force of the law against those who break them." |
| Local authorities will be given greater freedom to issue temporary stop notices, backed by potentially unlimited fines, against Travellers who attempt to breach planning rules. The new powers for councils in England will come into force once the current legislation is revoked, which the Department for Communities and Local Government said would happen "at the earliest opportunity". | Local authorities will be given greater freedom to issue temporary stop notices, backed by potentially unlimited fines, against Travellers who attempt to breach planning rules. The new powers for councils in England will come into force once the current legislation is revoked, which the Department for Communities and Local Government said would happen "at the earliest opportunity". |
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