Councillor questions how Gypsy and Traveller identity is verified in housing assessment

Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

A councillor has questioned housing officers on how gypsy and travellers prove their ancestry for an accommodation needs assessment.

At a meeting a Ruthin County Hall today (Thursday), Denbighshire County Council agreed to establish a scrutiny task group to oversee a new assessment of gypsy and traveller accommodation needs.

The council’s Performance Scrutiny Committee agreed the proposals with the assessment required to be submitted to the Welsh Government by 27 February 2027.

During the meeting, Cllr Merfyn Parry asked how the council’s consultants would establish whether people genuinely met the statutory definition of gypsies and travellers, rather than relying solely on self-identification.

He also questioned whether checks would examine people’s ancestry and what evidence could be requested where someone’s previous history was difficult to verify.

Cllr Parry said: “I’d like some clarification on how eligibility is established for this assessment. I appreciate the legal definition of gypsies and travellers is quite broad and people may come from different backgrounds, including those arriving from overseas.

“What checks are carried out to establish that someone genuinely meets the statutory definition rather than relying solely on self-identification? When someone’s previous history is difficult to verify, what supporting evidence can be requested, and how do we ensure only that genuine, unmet accommodation needs within Denbighshire are counted without excluding those legitimately entitled to be considered?”

Council officers responded that the authority was aware of gypsy and traveller families in the area, who they worked with closely.

Housing officer Sue Lewis then explained that external consultants with “a lot of experience in dealing with people” carried out the interviews.

Cllr Merfyn Parry said: “Well, I’m just wondering if I was to say I was a gypsy and traveller, how would you identify that I actually am a gypsy and traveller?”

Ms Lewis said: “It wouldn’t be me directly that you would tell. It would be the actual consultant. They’ve got independent field workers who have got lots of experience of doing these across the UK. So it would be them who would undertake it, and they just would do the processes that they have.”

Cllr Parry said: “How would they drill down into my ancestral history then of whether I am actually qualified to come under the rules that are required for this assessment?”

Ms Lewis said: “It would be the actual field workers and their experience.”

Housing officer Heidi McDougall said officers would obtain a more detailed answer from the external consultants.
Cllr Merfyn Parry said it was “important” the council had that information “so it is scrutinised for people to understand who is eligible for this assessment”.

The new Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment is a statutory requirement under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, which requires local authorities to assess accommodation needs at least every five years.

The council has commissioned consultants to undertake the work at a cost of £13,825 plus VAT, funded from its Local Development Plan budget.

The assessment will identify accommodation needs but will not identify specific locations for potential sites. Any necessary work on possible sites would follow completion of an approved assessment.

An up-to-date assessment is also required for the council’s replacement Local Development Plan, with the final report expected to be considered by scrutiny in January 2027.

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