A high court has ruled that the communities secretary, Eric
Pickles, has “unlawfully discriminated” against Romany Gypsies. A judge said
both human rights and equality laws were breached by Pickles and his department
“calling in” cases which would normally be considered by his planning
inspectors.
The judge said Pickles was operating a legally flawed policy
of “recovering” for his own consideration appeals by Travellers who claim there
are exceptional circumstances for allowing them green belt sites. Mr Justice
Gilbart, sitting in London, said an inspectors’ decision was normally received
within eight weeks of the end of an inquiry – but it could take six months or
more for a decision letter for a called-in case. No attempt had been made by
Pickles and his ministers to follow steps required by the 2010 Equality Act to
avoid indirect discrimination, and “substantial delays” had occurred in dealing
with the appeals in violation of article 6 of the European convention on human
rights, said the judge. The judge said Pickles’ department had “coined and
developed” a practice in 2013 and 2014 of calling in all, and then a majority,
of green belt Traveller cases – most involving Romany Gypsies or Irish
Travellers – “which discriminated unlawfully against a racial group”.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/21/eric-pickles-unlawfu-discrimination-against-romany-gypsies-green-belt-judge-rules
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