Over the last three months LGT has been supporting Gypsies and Travellers in London to respond to the draft London Plan.
The consultation, which ended on 2nd March, was a significant opportunity for community members, Gypsy and Traveller organisations and other supporters to give feedback on the Mayor’s new policy and suggest how it can be improved.
The postcard response, developed with members of the community, was extremely successful, according to Ilinca Diaconescu, LGT’s Policy Officer. “Here at the office we collected and posted over 400 postcards, and we know many more have been sent to the Mayor’s office by Gypsies and Travellers across the city. We also supported those who wanted to write more detailed letters.”
On 13th February, LGT held a meeting of the London Gypsy and Traveller Forum at City Hall, jointly with officers from the London Plan team. This brought together over 50 participants, including Gypsy and Traveller activists, representatives from community organisations and planning officers from 17 Boroughs.
The notes from the discussion were submitted as the formal Forum response. London Gypsies and Travellers also produced a more detailed LGT response, with additional evidence and suggested changes to ensure that meeting Gypsy and Traveller accommodation need is a priority and the Mayor takes a leading role to ensure delivery.
All responses will be seen by a planning inspector who will invite some representatives to discuss the plan later in the year at the Examination in Public. More updates will be posted on this website shortly.
Pictured: LGT’s Mena Mongan posting a batch of postcard responses, collected by LGT
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