I FEEL compelled to comment on the letter headed “It’s time councils used powers at disposal to stop travellers” published in the August 7 edition of the Gazette.

This government, and previous ones too, have stated for travellers to be called “travellers” they must travel for them to claim their ethnicity. The exception being ill health or advancing years.

Surely it would be wise to make every authority provide transit sites to enable this travelling to take place.

It doesn’t take a degree in politics, just a small amount of common sense to realise that one cannot travel continuously without taking a break.

Colchester and Tendring are encouraging tourism but obviously the travelling community are not the type of tourist they are looking to attract.

Perhaps different tactics are needed traveller provisions are needed in the long term plans for the area.

Surely with the Local Plan hopefully coming to fruition somebody feels able to use their authority to make sure the needs of travellers are accounted for.

Public money should not be wasted on useless consultations. Should Colchester and Tendring still feel the need to employ more consultants I will happily provide them with detailed work from previous years.

Travellers cannot, and should not, be blamed for the vast amount of agricultural land which is being used to build houses on.

With the state of our roads perhaps we should all slow down and go back to the horse and cart.

We could learn from the travellers.

Christine Atkins

Deben Road, Colchester