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Meeting: |
Decision Session – Combined Executive Member Decision Session |
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Meeting date: |
7 July 2026 |
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Report of: |
Director of Housing and Communities |
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Portfolio of: |
Cllr Lomas - Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights Equality, and Inclusion Cllr Pavlovic - Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities |
Decision Report: Gypsy and Traveller Action Plan – Annual Update
Subject of Report
1. On 9 May 2024, Executive approved an initial Gypsy and Traveller Action Plan with a commitment to bringing an annual update to an Executive Member Decision Session.
2. This report provides an update on some of the work which has taken place over the past 12 months and includes an updated version of the action plan which will run for the next 12-month period for Executive Member approval.
Benefits and Challenges
3. The action plan at Annex A presents a continuing approach to supporting Gypsy and Traveller communities in York and seeks to build on the extensive cross Council work which has taken place over the past 12 months. The action plan sets out several actions for the coming year which aim to further improve the outcomes of these communities.
Policy Basis for Decision
4. The Council Plan 2023-2027, ‘One City for All’, contains four core commitments to enable it to deliver the vision for the next four years. The first of these is ‘Equalities and Human Rights - Equality of Opportunity.’ The commitment states: ‘We will create opportunities for all, providing equal opportunity and balancing the human rights of everyone to ensure residents and visitors alike can benefit from the city and its strengths. We will stand up to hate and work hard to champion our communities.’
5. Committing to implementing the Gypsy and Traveller Action Plan across the Council, rather than having a standalone strategy, has ensured that officers and Members are considering the challenges these communities may face when implementing policies or designing services, which contributes to meeting this core commitment.
6. A second of the core commitments is Health and Wellbeing. This states ‘We will improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities, taking a Health in All Policies approach, with good education, jobs, travel, housing, better access to health and social care services and environmental sustainability.’
7.
As Gypsy and Traveller communities are groups which face some of
the most considerable health inequalities, the public health
workstream of the Action Plan is fundamental to addressing
this.
8. The City of York Local Plan was adopted in February 2025. Policy H5 ‘Gypsy and Travellers’ requires that masterplans must be produced for Council owned sites where any expansion is considered. This must be submitted and approved with all necessary works carried out prior to occupation. At the Osbaldwick site in particular, there is a requirement for the identification of “measures to improve the access arrangements to the site to ensure it is brought up to an acceptable standard, with the carriageway properly surfaced, and pavements and street-lighting provided”.
Financial Strategy Implications
9. The action plan has been delivered within existing resources in 2025/26.
10. Additional funding has been approved via the Council’s Capital Programme for £5.25m over 3 years for improvements to the existing sites and to provide additional accommodation[1].
11. Executive approval was received in March 2026 to implement the Gypsy and Traveller improvement capital projects. In 2026/27, it is expected that the improvements to Outgang Lane (access road to the Osbaldwick site) will be delivered, and the retrofit of the utility buildings at the 3 sites will be started. Agenda for Executive on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, 4.30 pm (Item 210)
12. In terms of spend to date, CCTV was installed at Clifton for around £7.4k. The first significant spend will be the Outgang Lane improvements design and works. This is expected to cost approximately £220k. There is also a landscaping belt at the Osbaldwick site that is expected to be delivered within this financial year. The estimated cost is £47k.
13. After this, the retrofit programme will be delivered / spent over 2026/27 and 2027/28, with an estimated cost of £1.5m. The Clifton expansion project will also be progressed within this period and likely into 2029.
14. For information, the estimated cost plan and timescales are indicated in Annex A of the Gypsy and Traveller Executive report from March 2026.
Recommendation and Reasons
15. The Executive Members are asked to:
a) Note the work undertaken since the report to Executive on 3 June 2025.
b) Approve the action plan for the next 12 months.
Reasons: To set out clear and measurable actions for the coming year which aim to improve the outcomes of Gypsy and Traveller communities.
Background
16. Gypsy and Traveller communities remain some of the most marginalised and disadvantaged ethnic minority groups nationally. These communities face significant inequalities across a range of indicators, including access to suitable accommodation, healthcare, education, employment, financial services, and policing, justice, and probation.
17. In 2021, a Gypsy and Traveller Working Group was established in partnership with York Travellers Trust. The group seeks to address the inequalities that the Gypsy and Traveller community in York faces. The vision is to work towards ensuring that Gypsy and Traveller communities experience an inclusivity, fairness and understanding in York.
18. As a result of the work of this group, in May 2024 Executive approved a 12-month action plan to coordinate and monitor work happening across the Council in relation to Gypsy and Traveller communities. It was agreed this would be reviewed annually.
Housing
19. There were four identified priority actions identified in last year's report associated with the provision of housing.
Complete the stock condition and energy efficiency surveys.
20. The reasoning for this action was to ensure that the Council holds stock condition information in order to inform good investment decisions. This early survey work has been completed across all three Council-owned sites and includes energy efficiency information; a more complehensive survey is being planned. The majority of the identified investment need is in relation to improving damp conditions, energy efficiency and thermal comfort. The comprehensive survey and retrofit programme is anticipated to be implemented during 2026/27 and 2027/28.
Providing Grants
21. Grant funding has been provided to York Travellers Trust to enable the hosting of three family fun dates at the three Travellers’ sites to encourage engagement in energy retrofit, and to undertake a workshop providing energy retrofit advice to the housed Traveller community.
22. The events were well attended by residents and provided opportunity to discuss costs associated with heating existing buildings and opportunities for making improvements (e.g. blankets for hot water systems and LED lighting).
Accommodation Officer
23. The works above have been led by a new Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Officer who has been employed on a permanent basis to lead the delivery of improvements to existing sites and pitches and the provision of additional accommodation. The postholder has formed positive relationships with the residents and partners initially.
Future Site Investment
24. In March 2026, Executive approval was received on a proposed cost plan for the Gypsy and Traveller accommodation improvement and expansion programme and more detailed proposals based on previous utility building condition surveys, feedback from residents, and the adopted Local Plan.
25. The bid to the Carbon Negative Challenge Fund was successful and authorisation was also sought from Executive to enter into a grant agreement with the York and North Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority (YNYCMA) to receive a £625k grant.
26. The Executive gave approval to proceed with the delivery of the Outgang Lane improvements and Osbaldwick site landscaping belt, the retrofit programme including receiving the grant, and the Clifton site expansion with 6 new pitches.
27. The provision of further additional pitches in the city required to meet the identified need (as set out in Local Plan) will be subject to a 'call for sites' exercise before location(s) can be confirmed.
28. Plans have been drawn up for improvements to Outgang Lane and consultation with residents and business owners started on 1 May 2026.
29. The Outgang Lane improvement proposals include repair to the road, such as replacement of gullies where needed and localised repairs to the surface; new street lighting, new footpaths, and parking restrictions (double yellow lines and restricted parking spaces). Residents have been consulted in person about the proposals and will be supported to submit their views. Businesses are also being consulted. The consultation started on 1 May and will close on 22 May 2025. So far, the feedback has been positive. The parking restrictions are also subject to a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), which forms part of the consultation. Works are expected to take place before the winter.
30. In addition to the actions above, the Housing team will work with YTT in supporting the development of planning guidance to set the standards for new Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in the city. Alongside this, work will be taking place to identify locations for the provision of additional pitches to meet the identified need. This work will inform updated planning policy and allocations through the new Local Plan and planning policy process commencing from summer 2026. Supplementary Planning Documents are no longer going to be produced, as these are abolished from the end of June 2026. Instead, the City Development team intends to produce non-statutory planning guidance where necessary to add clarity to the Local Plan policies. This was agreed at Executive in April 2026. CYC may also look to produce a ‘Supplementary Plan’ (a mini local plan) for Gypsy and Traveller communities, but this is not yet confirmed.
31. Through the analysis of Key Performance Indicators and feedback from residents, it is clear that the nature of the repairs service performance for residents on Gypsy and Traveller sites and those within Council homes is different. An action for 2025/26 was to improve repair performance on Gypsy and Traveller sites so that it matches the speed of service received by those tenants in Council homes. A draft consultation document has been developed to gather resident views on how they would like repairs to be undertaken on site, which will be shared with YTT. This consultation is due to start soon.
Education
32. There were three identified priority actions identified in last year's report associated with Education.
Provision
33. This action was around work to support development of education provision at YTT for English and Maths for Gypsy and Traveller children and young people who are home educated.
34. CYC provided consultation to YTT through the commissioning of an Independent Education Consultant. He supported YTT staff in developing this Education offer. This continues to be an area YTT are seeking funding. The Independent Education Consultant connected YTT with Bilbrough Country Classrooms to act as an exam centre in the first year for young people who had studied at the provision at YTT. The exam service is now being provided by York Learning.
Partnership
35. This related to funded supported work was provided between CYC Education team and YTT to support interactions with schools. Educational insight and support t[SL1] o YTT around the interaction with schools and settings was provided.
Research
36. Information was provided to the YTT-funded research project led by York St John University around the experience of Gypsy and Traveller children and young people in York schools.
37. Education Officers continue to work to respond to 2024 report York Travellers Trust - Gypsy and Traveller Experiences of Education in York.This had a formal launch at Falsgrave Street, with attendance from several schools and trusts.
38. The Education Leadership group across York have identified one of their six workstreams this year to be around responding to the areas of challenge in this report.
39. The group met regularly and was co-chaired by the Head of Inclusive Education and the CEO of The Education Alliance, who also works with the national organisation Traveller Movement. The national report of this movement has also been considered by the group Fought not Taught: (Nov 2024) | The Traveller Movement which resonates closely with the York report.
40. The group was made up of CEOs and secondary/primary headteachers from across the city, alongside representatives from YTT and from the CYC Social Care team.
41. The group has shared experiences around working with Gypsy and Traveller families in York and rooted this back to the report. They have identified three areas to work through:
Cultural Awareness, Visibility and Celebration of Community.
identifying key performance indicators to measure improved experiences across Exclusions, Attendance and Elective Home Education.
42. The group identified the need for a citywide conference that took place in Spring 2026. This included presentations from the National Traveller Movement, YTT, families and young people, and school settings. It covered the three areas above and concluded with citywide next steps. York Schools and Academies Board pushed for strong school attendance, with 39 settings represented, and wider partners also attended, including from the DfE and higher education settings.
43. Feedback from the conference was strong and the main highlights were:
Strengths.
Delegates overall felt that the conference:
· Influenced their understanding of Gypsy and Traveller history, culture and experiences in education
· Increased confidence in identifying and challenging stereotypes relating to Gypsy Traveller pupils
· Enabled better recognition of the barriers Gypsy and Traveller families might face when engaging in school
· Greater confidence in supporting colleagues develop greater cultural awareness in their settings
· Increased awareness of the importance to work with families to support consistent tracking of Gypsy and Traveller pupil data.
Delegates feel able to make changes by:
· Upskilling their teams
· Opening up dialogue with families more and build trust and safety
· Being more understanding of culture, context and history
· Raise awareness and visibility
· Celebrate Gypsy and Traveller culture within other celebrations
· Explore the data for this pupil group and monitor separately.
Opportunities for future training:
· Providing practical ideas for embedding Gypsy and Traveller culture into the curriculum or wider school life
· Training for the whole school from someone with lived experience - it was very powerful to witness on the conference.
· To develop a shared and consistent approach to the use of the T * code across all York schools would be useful.
*The T code helps Gypsy and Traveller families to take their children out of school when travelling for work
Challenges to address:
· Tracking outcomes for pupils when there are multiple barriers
· The understanding and use of T code in registers
· Gaining parental consent to identify Gypsy and Traveller groups on data systems to enable accurate tracking – families present various reasons
44. The conference has catalysed interest in a similar conference around successful practice with children and young people from asylum-seeking and refugee families.
45. Alongside the conference working party, relevant Education Officers at CYC continue to work closely with YTT around support for Elective Home Education families..
46. YTT and relevant CYC officers link closely for individual cases as needed if exclusion and attendance issues are present.
Health
47. There were three identified priority actions identified in last year's report associated with Public Health outcomes.
· Strengthen our partnership approach to health protection
· Build culturally sensitive approaches to improving the health of people in the Gypsy and Traveller community
· Influence Health partners around access to care
48. CYC Public Health, YTT and ICB colleagues continue to work together to address the actions from the report. Increasing uptake of childhood vaccinations is addressed through the Healthy Child Service’s outreach and engagement model (see below).
49. The Healthy Child Service’s outreach and engagement model, funded by CYC Public Health and developed alongside YTT, is helping to strengthen community links and improve access to preventative health support.
50. Considerable progress has been made on improving the coding of Inclusion Health groups by GP practices, with coding of Gypsy, Roma or Traveller ethnicity representing the greatest increase (+204%), through collaboration with YTT. This will have led to patients being offered additional GP practice support which includes screening and vaccination.
51. University of York’s focus groups regarding improvement of early cancer diagnosis and screening for Gypsy and Traveller patients have helped build relationships with the Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance.
52. The Healthy Child Service (HCS) is four months into a "warm up" phase aimed at building relationships with York's Gypsy and Traveller community. This has primarily involved a Healthy Child Nurse and a Specialist Health Visitor spending time at YTT connecting with both staff and community members, while maintaining a reflective log to identify unmet health needs and barriers to healthcare access. A short community survey has been developed to shape next steps, and drop-in clinics have launched at YTT and the Osbaldwick Hub to offer health and developmental support for children.
53. In parallel, the team has been visiting the three Council-run sites in the city alongside York Council site supervisors, engaging with families not connected to YTT and gathering insights through personal conversations. Future plans include running focus groups to inform service development, expanding the project to cover the 5–19 age group from June 2026, and building collaborative relationships with GP practices that serve a significant number of Gypsy and Traveller families.
54. An action was to work with York Travellers Trust to ensure health settings in York have resources and information that can be easily accessed by Gypsy and Traveller communities. These may include resources written in simple English, photographs representative of the communities, or resources delivered in different formats, such as audio and information sessions. Topics would include accessing the most relevant health services for a specific condition, information around diseases and conditions commonly experienced by the communities, and immunisation and vaccination. The ICB restructure has contributed to limited progress in relation to this action.[SL2]
55. A further action was to build a greater awareness amongst health care professionals of the challenges an increased reliance on technology can pose to the communities for appointment-making, test results, and other communication. Also advise that more traditional forms of communication should still be offered.
56. The Health Trainer team have continued to attend Osbaldwick, James Street and Clifton sites offering stop smoking support and general health and wellbeing support. In addition, two site staff have provided stop smoking support in between visits from the Health Trainer team. As of March 2026, 25 individual clients have been supported to stop smoking with 13 clients (52%) quitting. Harm reductions have been seen in many others. Through partnership work with a community dentist, there was a successful registration with a dentist and treatment was received.
57. A ‘Healthy Relationships’ project was commissioned by Public Health’s Domestic Abuse team and started late 2025. The contract is continuing as planned. YTT are in the process of developing some healthy relationships conversation starter flashcards. These are designed to initiate and build on conversations around healthy friendships and intimate relationships. YTT recently held workshops with Gypsy and Traveller young people to pilot these resources which went well. YTT are continuing to work on these for the final quarter of the contract.
Community Safety
58. There were three identified priority actions identified in last year's report associated with Community Safety.
Roadside Stopping/Unauthorised encampments.
59. Work is ongoing to develop a Negotiated Stopping type approach to unauthorised Gypsy/Traveller encampments/roadside stopping. A draft protocol/procedure has been written and is awaiting identification of suitable sites designated for this purpose.
60. Unauthorised encampments are currently managed by the Council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement Team using s77 and s78 of the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994. Currently, Direction to Leave Notices are served (giving a default period of stay of 48 hours from the serving of the Notice). Direction to Leave Court Orders are applied for should the Notices be breached.
61. Negotiated Stopping type approaches intends to introduce a more respectful and less confrontational approach, recognising the Gypsy and Traveller nomadic way of life.
62. As part of this work the Council is currently seeking one or two parcels of land, to which Gypsy and Traveller groups could be directed. Portable toilet and waste facilities would be provided on sites.
63. In addition, YTT is working with Sanctuary Stopping, a national Gypsy and Traveller led organisation, working with churches to participate in Negotiated Stopping through the use of church-owned land, to identify if any such land would be available in York.
64. Under the Negotiated Stopping type approach, the Council and the Gypsy or Traveller party will negotiate a length of stay (up to a maximum period of 2 weeks) and agree the number of caravans and vehicles permitted on site, with a signed agreement by both parties.
Multi-Agency work on static sites
65. Work is ongoing to improve relationships and increase trust between Gypsy and Traveller communities and enforcement agencies such as the Council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement Team, Housing Team and North Yorkshire Police.
66. On production of the accessible version of the Licence Agreement (now transitioning to a tenancy agreement working with the Housing team in the 2026/27 plan - see Annex A), Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers plan to work on sites to highlight resident responsibilities within the agreement that fall within their remit, including waste management, animals and scrap metal dealing.
Hate Crime
67. The York Hate Crime Partnership group will continue to work with YTT to identify and address any specific needs in relation to the Gypsy and Traveller community.
68. A new national Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy has recently been published. CYC will be working with colleagues in the Combined Authority and CYC Public Health team to ensure that work to address Violence Against Women and Girls and domestic abuse is coordinated through the establishment of a local multi-agency Violence Against Women and Girls/domestic abuse Task Group and will ensure that YTT are included within this group once established.
Communities and Equalities
69. There were three identified priority actions identified in last year's report associated with community work and equalities and human rights outcomes.
Anti-racism.
70. As part of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2025-2028, the Council committed to delivering Anti-Racism training that has a specific focus on racism toward Gypsy and Traveller communities. York Travellers Trust will be consulted on the training specification. The Head of EDI will continue to update the Gypsy and Traveller Working Group on plans to embed Anti Racist Practice across the Council.
Human Rights
71. City of York Council has worked alongside the Centre for Applied Human Rights (CAHR) at the University of York to develop an improved version of the current Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA), which will be known as a Human Rights and Equality Assessment (HREA) Tool. This has been rolled out across CYC to be completed whenever an EIA would previously have been used and will be supported by 36 volunteer Equality and Human Rights Champions, trained by CAHR and Head of EDI.
72. Head of EDI delivered training to 36 Human Rights & Equity Champions across the Council on the Human Rights and Equality Assessment (HREA) tool. This training included the YTT report: Gypsy and Traveller Experiences of Education in York and The Traveller Movement report: Fought Not Taught.
73. The Chief Executive of York Travellers Trust has attended and will be invited to be a permanent member of the City’s Human Rights and Equalities Board which is a key partnership on which civil society can reflect the lived experience of their residents directly to decision makers in the City.
Mapping
74. There was an action in the previous plan to work with York Travellers Trust to begin a mapping exercise to better understand Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in York. CYC and Health have a particular lack of data on Roma communities which has been the focus this year.
75. The Cultural and Integration Partnership Manager has led on this work with the following achievements, and will collaborate with YTT on all future activity:
· Plan and delivered outreach sessions aimed at raising awareness, fostering engagement, and building capacity, which included a farm trip with 100 attendees, a stall at Holocaust Memorial Day event that attracted around 70 participants, and a photographic exhibition in West offices. In total over 300 individuals were engaged.
· Organised and delivered Roma-focused cultural awareness sessions and talks for more than 100 attendees at the West Offices, which included CYC staff, public health professionals, and education staff (headteachers). These sessions were designed to cater to various levels of understanding, allowing for meaningful discussions.
· Connected with identified schools that have a higher population of Roma students, discussions about possible awareness sessions are ongoing.
· Provided direct support for three cases involving Roma individuals, ensuring professionals received the necessary assistance.
· Established communication via a newsletter about Roma initiatives, integrating quizzes and other engagement tools into daily sessions to enhance awareness.
· Engaged with the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) elsewhere, connecting with approximately 50 professionals and creating a mailing list for future needs while sharing resources and best practices.
· Collaborated with the Ukrainian consulate and the Romanian embassy to ensure the involvement of Roma individuals in the future. Also engaged with the European Council and the Roma Mediator program.
· Signposted Roma individuals to York CVS for assistance in becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC).
· Worked closely with Roma residents to gain a deeper understanding of their current needs. Identified stakeholders within the community, along with key dates and relationships that are significant to this demographic.
· Created opportunities for the Roma community to voice their opinions and ensure representation via partnership with local university.
76. At the ‘Our City’ integration festival in July 2026 there was a Romani language taster session and Roma performers.
Consultation Analysis
77. Relevant Executive Members, along with senior officers, have met regularly with York Travellers Trust via the working group to develop and deliver this action plan.
Options Analysis and Evidential
Basis
78. The two options Executive Members could consider in respect of this report are below:
a) to accept the recommendations at paragraph 15; or
b) to choose not to implement the recommendations (preferred option).
Organisational Impact and
Implications
Financial
79. The action plan can be delivered within existing resources. A CYC Capital Resource Allocation Model (CRAM) bid for £5.25m has been approved to cover the investment required at the current sites and provide additional accommodation. Monitoring of this budget will be through the capital monitoring reports and asset management board.
80. Executive approval was received in March 2026 to implement the Gypsy and Traveller improvement capital projects. In 2026/27, it is expected that the improvements to Outgang Lane (access road to the Osbaldwick site) will be delivered, and the comprehensive survey/retrofit of the utility buildings at the 3 sites will be started. Agenda for Executive on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, 4.30 pm (Item 210)
Human Resources (HR)
81. The Head of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion has been in post since March 2025. The role includes work to support Gypsy and Traveller communities. This has allowed for a renewed focus on training, inclusive practice and language, which will positively impact staff as well as residents. Other actions detailed in the action plan will be delivered by existing teams. YTT currently give their time at no cost to CYC
Legal
82. Article 7.2.1 of the City of York Council Constitution requires that all decisions taken on behalf of the Council are made with respect for human rights and equality of opportunity, and this includes those from Gypsy and Traveller, and Roma communities.
Procurement
83. There are no direct procurement impacts contained in this report. However, protected characteristics can be focused upon when considering social value in procurement and the new Human Rights and Equality Assessment Tool will be used prior to starting a procurement exercise.
Health and Wellbeing
84. The United Kingdom is a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This means the United Kingdom is bound, in international law, to protect the right to health. A Council Plan core commitment is Health and Wellbeing. This means reducing health inequalities, taking a Health in All Policies approach, with good education, jobs, travel, housing, better access to health and social care services and environmental sustainability.
Environment and Climate action
85. In a resolution of 8 October 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council recognised that access to a healthy and sustainable environment is a universal right. Although nonbinding, this resolution could be a first step towards filling a significant gap in international law. The Council should ensure that the financial burden of climate action is not carried by those groups who can least afford it, and this will include some members of Gypsy, Traveller, and Roma communities. It will also be important to balance changes to more sustainable ways of working (transport etc), with the preservation of a distinct culture and way of life.
Affordability
86. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states ‘Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and of their family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control’.
87. Implementing this action plan will allow Council to ensure that this core commitment within the Council Plan is met for Gypsy and Traveller communities, so that everyone who lives in York benefits from the success of the city. This also ensures targets support to those who need it most and supports Gypsy and Traveller communities to build on their own strengths and draw on those of the people around them.
Equalities and Human Rights
88. The Council recognises, and needs to take into account its Public Sector Equality Duty under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other prohibited conduct; advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it in the exercise of a public authority’s functions).
89. The Race Relations Act (1976, amended 2000) and the Equalities Act (2010) legally recognise Gypsy and Traveller communities as ethnic groups and thus protected from discrimination. The attached action plan seeks to address the significant inequalities that Gypsy and Traveller communities in York face. However, this is not a standalone strategy.
90. The intention is that Gypsy and Traveller communities will be considered in every policy, strategy and service change and Human Rights and Equality Assessment (HREA) will take place where appropriate.
Data Protection and Privacy
91. The data protection impact assessment screening questions were completed for the recommendations and options in this report and as there is no personal, special categories or criminal offence data being processed to set these out, there is no requirement to complete a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) at this stage. However, this will be reviewed following the approved recommendations and options from this report and a DPIA completed if required.
Communications
92. Delivery of the Gypsy and Traveller action plan, and different aspects within it requires sensitive communications handling. As a key community in the city, it is critical Gypsy and Traveller communities are engaged in the steps being taken and feel supported throughout. The communications service will draw on relevant expertise across the Council to ensure any communications are positively received, including correcting inaccurate information if required.
Economy
93. There are no direct economic impacts contained in this report. However, Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states ‘Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.’ By working both internally and externally to reduce inequalities for these communities, City of York Council may increase opportunities for those who wish to access employment or volunteering.
Risks and Mitigations
94. Should the actions in this report and action plan not be delivered, the Council would risk not fulfilling its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010.
95. A failure to move forward with clear actions to improve outcomes for Gypsy and Traveller communities would significantly impact the Council’s ability to deliver on its key commitment to Human Rights and Equalities and allow barriers currently impacting these communities to continue unchallenged.
Wards Impacted
All.
Contact details
For further information please contact the authors of this Decision Report.
Author
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Name: |
Laura Swiszczowski |
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Job Title: |
Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion |
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Service Area: |
Housing and Communities |
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Report approved: |
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Date: |
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Co-author
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Name: |
Katherine Proctor |
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Job Title: |
Assistant Director of Housing |
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Service Area: |
Housing and Communities |
Background papers
‘Gypsy and Traveller Action Plan’, Executive, 9 May 2024, Agenda for Executive on Thursday, 9 May 2024, 5.30 pm (item 128)
‘The York Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Strategy 2013- 2018' https://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/file/2601/gypsy-roma-and-traveller-strategy-2013-18
‘Delivering Additional Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation and improving existing Facilities,’ Executive, 14 March 2024, Executive, 14 March 2024 (item 8).
Annexes
Annex A – Gypsy and Traveller Action Plan 2026/27
Abbreviations
CAHR - Centre for Applied Human Rights
CCTV - Closed-Circuit Television
CRAM - Capital Resource Allocation Model
CYC – City of York Council
DfE – Department for Education
DPIA - Data Protection Impact Assessment
EIA – Equalities Impact Assessment
EMTAS - Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service
GP - General Practitioner
HR – Human Resources
HREA – Human Rights and Equality Assessment
HCS - Healthy Child Service
ICB - Integrated Care Board
IERUK - Inclusive Equal Rights UK
KPI - Key Performance Indicator
TRO - Traffic Regulation Order
VAWG – Violence Against Women and Girls
YNYCMA - York and North Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority
YSAB – York Schools and Academies Board
YTT – York Travellers Trust