Dear Sir or Madam,

Following the award of about £1.2 million to the SNDC to establish
a new traveller site at an existing traveller site at Harford
Bridge, and grant of planning consent by the SNDC for such.

Please identify the costs associated with establishment of a new
site in Brooke to meet the needs of the family known as the 'Denton
travellers'.

It is understood that a suitable site has been identified in
Brooke, on the street (NR15 1LB). Please identify the likely costs
of establishment such a site, if an application for grant aid has
been made by the SNDC, and if the SNDC have identified that they
will grant planning consent.

Please further identify if the SNDC has made the people of Brooke
aware of its intention to establish a traveller site in Brooke -
and if the elected representative of the SNDC for Brooke has been
informed of the officers intentions.

Please finally identify how the SNDC intends to meet its
obligations under the Race Relations Acts and provide about 1,000
pitches for travellers (mainly of Irish descent) in the district at
Long Stratton. It is understood that a significant influx of
travellers to the District is anticipated to highlight the SNDC
failure to provide sites for travellers in the District.

Yours faithfully,

C. P. ELLIOTT

Dear Mr Elliott

Thank you for your request which is being considered. You may be aware that we have 20 working days in which to respond to FOI requests and you will therefore hear from me again by 14 November 2008 or earlier if possible.

For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions, which may prevent release of the information you have requested. There will be an assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then some or all of the information may not be released. You will be informed if this is the case, including your rights of appeal.

There may be a fee payable for ‘reasonable disbursement’ costs such as postage and photocopying. This will be considered and you will be informed if a fee is payable. In this event the fee must be paid before the information is processed and released. The 20 working day time limit for responses is suspended until receipt of the payment.

If you have any queries or concerns then please let me know. If you do contact us again concerning this request, please quote FOI 08-177.

Joanna Kitchener
Scrutiny and Information Rights Manager
South Norfolk Council
Long Stratton, Norwich
NR15 2XE
01508 533602
www.south-norfolk.gov.uk

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Dear Right2Know,

Many thanks for your acknowledgement..

Yours sincerely,

C. P. ELLIOTT

Dear Mr Elliott

Further to your request below, I have replicated your questions along with my answers for ease of reference.

Please identify the costs associated with establishment of a new site in Brooke to meet the needs of the family known as the 'Denton travellers'. It is understood that a suitable site has been identified in Brooke, on the street (NR15 1LB). Please identify the likely costs of establishment such a site, if an application for grant aid has been made by the SNDC, and if the SNDC have identified that they will grant planning consent. Please further identify if the SNDC has made the people of Brooke aware of its intention to establish a traveller site in Brooke - and if the elected representative of the SNDC for Brooke has been informed of the officers intentions.
I have searched the planning applications and also examined the sites currently being considered by South Norfolk Council for possible traveller sites and am unable to locate a site in Brooke. As there does not appear to be such an application, I am unable to supply any of the requested documents as they do not appear to exist.

Please finally identify how the SNDC intends to meet its obligations under the Race Relations Acts and provide about 1,000
pitches for travellers (mainly of Irish descent) in the district at Long Stratton.
South Norfolk Council has an extensive list of documents which explain in detail how the Council has approached the issue of transit and permanent sites for gypsies and travellers in the area and I attach the link to all those documents which are available on our website: http://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/planning...

Joanna Kitchener
Scrutiny and Information Rights Officer
South Norfolk Council
Long Stratton, Norwich
NR15 2XE
01508 533602
www.south-norfolk.gov.uk

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Dear Right2Know,

I am aware that it is normal practice for the SNDC to make grant
applications to DCLG and then if successful to seek planning
consent, and have few doubts that SNDC will continue with its
custom and practice.

Such was the case with the Harford bridge site where the SNDC as
experts identified to natioal government that a cost of an existing
pitch in South Norfolk was about £150,000 and then identified that
this was correct through a grant of planning permission to its own
agents. Despite being aware that pitches had already been
established.

Are you quite sure that applications for grants, honariums and/or
such like have not been paid to the occupiers or sought by them of
the post code identified by the SNDC possibly associated with DCLG
grant aid, or from reserves held it is understood for the purpose
of affordable housing.

Possibly it is a commercial service.. that the Council provides.. I
am aware that the Council seems to identify traveller issues
sometimes in its decisions as being associated with the keeping of
dogs..

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/stor...

http://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/democrac...

please could you check your records. I don't think that it is a
planning issue.. as a planning issue all SNDC have done is identify
that the cost of establishing an existing pitch is about £150,000
for each.

Yours sincerely,

C. P. ELLIOTT

Dear Mr Elliott

I must request again, that you use the FOI unique identifiers allocated to each FOI request received.

Further to your email below, it would appear that most of the email consists of statements, rather than requests of information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. If there are any new requests for information below, then please do not reply to this email, but please send in a fresh request to avoid confusion.

Joanna Kitchener
Scrutiny and Information Rights Officer
South Norfolk Council
Long Stratton, Norwich
NR15 2XE
01508 533602
www.south-norfolk.gov.uk

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Dear Right2Know,

All I am asking is if the SNDC is considering a site in Brooke for
use by travellers. The Leader of the Council and the Council itself
appears to identify that there have been significant problems with
its administration of the planning service in relation to the
current consultation.

I am not an expert and don't have the foggiest what goes on behind
the closed doors of South Norfolk House.. However, it is known that
many consultees on the SNDC strategy have identified that Brooke is
an ideal location for a traveller site. Obviously the SNDC has the
required documents.

I am unable to see why I should take any responsibility for your
records.. they are the Council's own. This is a valid FoI request.

Yours sincerely,

C. P. ELLIOTT

Dear Mr Elliott

This appears to be a request to confirm my previous email of 4 November. I should advise you that I have stated the position on a possible traveller site in Brooke and have nothing to add to my email of 4 November.

Please note that unless any fresh requests for information can be identified, I will not correspond further on this subject.

Joanna Kitchener
Scrutiny and Information Rights Officer
South Norfolk Council
Long Stratton, Norwich
NR15 2XE
01508 533602
www.south-norfolk.gov.uk

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