English: I'd like to thank the Local Government and Housing Committee staff and the Senedd's community liaison team for their work producing the report, organising evidence sessions and visits to engage directly with the community - that was really valuable - and also Travelling Ahead, who came with us as well. We discovered there aren't enough sites and there are long waiting lists for local authority ones of up to 20 years. Sites are often on the outskirts of areas, away from amenities, with no pavements to safely link them. There was a lot of concrete and metal barrier fencing and they were poorly maintained, with a lack of green spaces and provision for children. Their location next to busy roads and industrial sites means noise and air pollution is a real issue. One place we visited had one electricity meter at the entrance to the site and extension cables linking caravans to the electricity provision at various points, and broadband was also poor in the areas. Representatives of the community should be consulted when planning where sites should be as part of the LDP process. It should be done right at the beginning, and also when any additional funding for site provision is made available, which wasn't happening. The Welsh Government's capital funding for site provision improvements is really welcome, but at one site the funding had been used by the local authority to improve the access road. The community said it wasn't the one that they actually wanted repairing, and they would have actually liked to have used the funding for other purposes, such as play provision on the site, and improving the green area that was to the side and they didn't have access to. Layout of sites is also important for well-being, and not always properly considered. One site said they were asked for their views but they were not reflected in what was delivered by the council-owned site. One home had a broken window, which had been waiting for a repair for a long time. Another had ineffective gutters for surface water. I was thinking that perhaps Gypsy, Roma and Traveller sites should move into the housing revenue account to sit along other social housing, so that rent is ring-fenced, reinvested, and they could be brought up to standard, such as social housing is. As residents pay rent for the sites just like any other tenant, they are subject to council tax, rent, gas, electricity and other associated charges, in the same way as other tenants are. It was so informative listening and talking to the members of the community. As a councillor I had diversity training, but never had the opportunity to directly engage with the GRT community; I sat in a room with other councillors, having a slide presentation delivered by a council officer. So, it would be good if there was more cultural awareness with the extended community where there are sites, to help knock down barriers and to build community cohesiveness. One site we visited, owned by a family, wanted permission for their immediate family to have temporary homes on the site so they could be nearby. One daughter had a disabled son with complex needs and needed the family support. They were struggling with the planning system, bureaucracy and discrimination, and really needed help. There is the concern that the UK Government Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which makes unauthorised encampments a criminal offence, could impact, as there is a lack of authorised sites. And with there also being a lack of transition sites, it was considered that corporate joint committees, under their role of strategic planning, could enable local authorities to work in collaboration to provide suitable sites. Having someone independent who could be a trusted liaison officer for planning or other help to represent their views is essential, and there needs to be measured goals and timelines in place for all the recommendations to help strengthen the legislation. Once again, my thanks go to everyone who took part. It's certainly opened my eyes, and I found it really useful. Now the stakeholders need to know it was all worthwhile, worth their time, and that their voices will be heard. Thank you.
Welsh: Hoffwn ddiolch i staff y Pwyllgor Llywodraeth Leol a Thai a thîm cyswllt cymunedol y Senedd am eu gwaith ar gynhyrchu'r adroddiad, yn trefnu sesiynau tystiolaeth ac ymweliadau i ymgysylltu'n uniongyrchol â'r gymuned - roedd hynny'n werthfawr iawn - yn ogystal â Teithio Ymlaen, a ddaeth gyda ni hefyd. Canfuom nad oes digon o safleoedd a bod rhestrau aros hir o hyd at 20 mlynedd am safleoedd awdurdodau lleol. Mae safleoedd yn aml ar gyrion ardaloedd, ymhell oddi wrth amwynderau, heb unrhyw balmentydd i'w cysylltu'n ddiogel. Roedd llawer o ffensys concrit a metel, ac roeddent yn cael eu cynnal a'u cadw'n wael, gyda diffyg mannau gwyrdd a darpariaeth ar gyfer plant. Mae eu lleoliad ger ffyrdd prysur a safleoedd diwydiannol yn golygu bod llygredd aer a sŵn yn broblem wirioneddol. Roedd gan un man y buom yn ymweld ag ef un mesurydd trydan wrth y fynedfa i'r safle a cheblau estyn yn cysylltu carafanau â'r ddarpariaeth drydan ar wahanol bwyntiau, ac roedd band eang hefyd yn wael yn yr ardaloedd. Dylid ymgynghori â chynrychiolwyr y gymuned wrth gynllunio lle dylid lleoli safleoedd fel rhan o broses y cynllun datblygu lleol. Dylid ei wneud ar y cychwyn cyntaf, a hefyd pan fydd unrhyw arian ychwanegol ar gyfer darparu safleoedd yn dod ar gael, ac nid oedd hynny'n digwydd. Mae cyllid cyfalaf Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyfer gwella darpariaeth safleoedd i'w groesawu'n fawr, ond ar un safle, roedd y cyllid wedi'i ddefnyddio gan yr awdurdod lleol i wella'r ffordd fynediad. Dywedodd y gymuned nad honno oedd y ffordd roeddent am iddi gael ei hatgyweirio, a byddent wedi hoffi defnyddio'r cyllid at ddibenion eraill, megis darpariaeth chwarae ar y safle, a gwella'r ardal werdd ger y safle nad oedd ganddynt fynediad ati. Mae cynllun llawr safleoedd hefyd yn bwysig ar gyfer llesiant, ac nid yw bob amser yn cael ei ystyried yn briodol. Dywedodd un safle iddynt gael eu holi am eu safbwyntiau, ond na chawsant eu hadlewyrchu yn yr hyn a ddarparwyd gan y safle, sy'n eiddo i'r cyngor. Roedd ffenestr un cartref wedi torri, ac roeddent wedi bod yn aros iddi gael ei hatgyweirio ers amser maith. Roedd gan un arall gafnau aneffeithiol ar gyfer dŵr wyneb. Roeddwn yn meddwl efallai y dylai safleoedd Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr symud i mewn i'r cyfrif refeniw tai gyda thai cymdeithasol eraill, fel bod rhent yn cael ei glustnodi, ei ailfuddsoddi, a gallent gael eu codi i safon, fel sy'n digwydd gyda thai cymdeithasol. Gan fod preswylwyr yn talu rhent am y safleoedd yn union fel unrhyw denant arall, maent yn agored i'r dreth gyngor, rhent, nwy, trydan a thaliadau cysylltiedig eraill, yn yr un ffordd â thenantiaid eraill. Roedd yn addysgiadol iawn gwrando a siarad ag aelodau'r gymuned. Fel cynghorydd, cefais hyfforddiant amrywiaeth, ond ni chefais gyfle erioed i ymgysylltu'n uniongyrchol â'r gymuned Sipsiwn, Roma a Theithwyr; eisteddais mewn ystafell gyda chynghorwyr eraill, a chael cyflwyniad sleidiau gan un o swyddogion y cyngor. Felly, byddai'n dda pe bai mwy o ymwybyddiaeth ddiwylliannol gyda'r gymuned estynedig lle ceir safleoedd, i helpu i gael gwared ar rwystrau ac i adeiladu cydlyniant cymunedol. Roedd un safle y buom yn ymweld ag ef, a oedd yn eiddo i deulu, yn dymuno cael caniatâd i'w teulu agos gael cartrefi dros dro ar y safle fel y gallent fod gerllaw. Roedd gan un ferch fab anabl ag anghenion cymhleth ac roedd angen cymorth y teulu arnynt. Roeddent yn cael trafferth gyda'r system gynllunio, biwrocratiaeth a gwahaniaethu, ac roedd gwir angen cymorth arnynt. Mae pryder y gallai Deddf yr Heddlu, Troseddu, Dedfrydu a'r Llysoedd 2022 Llywodraeth y DU, sy'n gwneud gwersylloedd diawdurdod yn drosedd, gael effaith oherwydd y diffyg safleoedd awdurdodedig. A chyda diffyg safleoedd tramwy hefyd, ystyrid y gallai cyd-bwyllgorau corfforedig, drwy eu rôl gynllunio strategol, alluogi awdurdodau lleol i gydweithio i ddarparu safleoedd addas. Mae cael rhywun annibynnol a allai fod yn swyddog cyswllt dibynadwy ar gyfer materion cynllunio neu gymorth arall i gynrychioli eu barn yn hanfodol, ac mae angen cael amserlenni a nodau mesuradwy ar gyfer yr holl argymhellion i helpu i gryfhau'r ddeddfwriaeth. Unwaith eto, hoffwn ddiolch i bawb a gymerodd ran. Mae'n sicr wedi agor fy llygaid, ac roedd yn ddefnyddiol iawn. Nawr, mae angen i'r rhanddeiliaid wybod bod y cyfan yn werth chweil, yn werth eu hamser, ac y bydd eu lleisiau'n cael eu clywed. Diolch.