´óÏó´«Ã½

The secret meeting of the Gypsies and Travellers Working Group went ahead as planned today.

The three councillors who attended have decided to recommend to their parent advisory panel, which deals with planning policy, that all 123 members of the council contribute information to an audit of existing gypsy and traveller sites, official and unofficial, with a view to taking these locations as a starting point for considering the way forward. Very sensible, hardly rocket science and I still don't get why the meeting had to be secret. I understand that future meetings are likely to be in public, as the Working Group (if it continues) will become a formal Advisory Panel.

It might all turn out to be of academic interest only. The statutory requirement for Cornwall Council to provide gypsy and traveller sites was part and parcel of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the provision of housing, which the government is now expected to abolish.