This is the the first comparative study of how central-government policy towards Gypsies/Travellers between 1960-2010 was implemented locally, and of the factors shaping these outcomes.
Post-1945, the UK’s nomadic populations have been progressively 'settled' through a series of legislation. The academic consensus regards this approach as largely driven by ‘ethnic cleansing’ through forced settlement onto sites or housing.
However, there is no evidence concerning how national policies were interpreted and implemented (or not) locally, the factors influencing local responses to accommodating nomads, or their implications for understanding issues surrounding unauthorised camps, site development or residential patterns today.
This British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants Scheme-funded project seeks to answer these questions through detailed comparative analysis of three localities. It will have significant social impacts in informing public debates around the heated topic of accommodating Gypsies/Travellers.
Dr David Smith, Reader, School of Allied Health and Social Care (PI)
Sophie Cook, Research Assistant, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care
Dr Miranda Millan, Independent Researcher