GT - Are these the best locations to consider?

I have read the Essex Planning Officers assoc's document Looking Back, Moving Forward, Assessing the housing needs of Gypsies and Traveller in Essex and there are some interesting facts stated and they are:-
Point 1 (Page 12) G & T have distinctive cultures, lifestyles and characteristics which inevitably impacts upon their accommodation needs, housing experiences and aspirations.
Point 2 (Page 15) As the number of G & T has increased over time so has the diversity and ultimately the complexity of these communities...
...There are ofen cultural factors which symbolise the differentiation between Gypsies and Travellers such as. DISTINCTIVE Hygience practices. Labour Market and employment preferences, distinctive economic practices and the centraility Kinship.
Point 3 (Page 16) It appears that nomadism, in the lives of G & T has been transformed into more a state of mind rather than a defining feature of everyday life for G & T groups.
Point 4 (Page 16) ....More recently, the most significant piece of legislation for Gypsies and Travellers and for those involved in site provision and the planning system has been the changes introduced as part of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. This act removed the obligation on local authorities to provide and maintain public caravan sites. In place of this, Gypsies and Travellers were encouraged to buy their own land to seek planning permission for their own accommodation. This was intended to provide Gypsies and Travellers with a 'level playing field' for planning applications.
Point 5 (Page 19) One of the main barriers to site provision is the resistance from the local, settled community...
Point 6 (Page 19) Compared with other forms of social housing management, site management is more intensive and requires higher staff to resident ratios.
Point 7 (Page 19) Problems can arise from the way rent officers set local reference rents for Housing Benefit applications for council sites. In some cases this can cause large differences between the pitch fee charged and the amount of Housing Benefit paid.
Point 8 (Page 19) Over the past decade Gypsies and Travellers residing on unauthorised developments has been increasing with the 2003 figures showing an increase of 40% on the previous year. As such, in April 2003, the Governement issued guidance suggesting that councils should develop a local strategy to deal with unauthorised camping. The guidance states that such a strategy should aim to:

Balance the rights and needs of resident communities with those of Gypsies and Travellers;
Manage unauthorised encampments in an efficient and effective way;
Set out proposals to meet Gypsies' and Travellers' needs by making adequate and appropriate site provision;
Point 9 (Page 55) As a result, the claim is that many Gypsies and Travellers have been 'forced' into 'bricks-and-mortar' social housing, which many desire to leave. As such, people have therefore been locked into a circular existence as places on sites become fewer their absence from them means that their needs (and aspirations) are often overlooked.
Point 10 (Page 54) When asked about experiences of dealing with travellers across Essex, Planning Officers cited the following issues as being the most pertinent:
Retrospective planning applications;
The occupation of green belt land; and
Problems with the planning system

With regard to retrospective planning applications, one Planning Officer commented that the vast majority of Gypsies and Travellers did this and this was a major issue in whether permission was granted or not. This difficulty is compounded further by most of these planning applications being on green belt land. The problem here for Gypsies and Travellers seem to be that they are only able to afford to buy land without planning permission and this is often green belt. This means that immediately they are in an untenable position regarding planning guidance as retrospective planning applications are not viewed favourably and neither is the occupation of green belt land.

It can be seen from the above points that integration into the settled community is not wanted by either communities and so comes with many problems. The need to travel is no longer the considered to be relevant in recent document despite it still being in the legal definition, the fact is the majority of Gypsies and Travellers prefer to settle down but not in houses or integrated into the existing community, they prefer to keep company with their own kind so it is quite the opposite. The biggest problem for me is that the settled district community are very protective about the Green Belt land and they see this minority group taking it away without permission. Residents in this district also reflect on what has taken place in Basildon/Crays Hill, where one small site rapidly became a huge site of over 300 pitches on Green Belt Land. They are scared that by letting Gypsies and Travellers near Green Belt land is inviting trouble as they have no problem with illegally expanding a site. The only way this will change is to find pitches that have restricted growth potential but meet the Gypsy Traveller's communities needs. So in answer to the question: The only site big enough that meets the fixed boundaries is GT6 and the council should build the site with all community facilities.

Various questions and comments received.

For further details see paper copy.