Agenda item

This report provides an overview of the most recent Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA), dated July 2025, which has been prepared to assist with the formulation of the emerging Local Plan and introduces Members to the Gyspy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Topic Paper.

Recommendation:

That the Local Plan Sub-Committee:

(i)         notes the contents of this report;

(ii)        agrees to publish the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment July 2025 (Appendix 2) to the emerging Local Plan Evidence Base (available on the Local Plan webpage); and

(iii)      recommends to the Policy and Resources Committee the update to the “Provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople” policy.

The Sub-Committee received a report which provided an overview of the most recent Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) which had been prepared to assist with the formulation of the Emerging Local Plan and which identified current and future accommodation need.  The Sub-Committee was invited to note the contents of the report, agree to publish the GTAA to the Emerging Local Plan evidence base, and recommend to the Policy & Resources Committee the update to the ‘Provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople’ policy.

The Senior Planning Officer summarised that the GTAA had required updating following its earlier publication in March due to an amendment to the definition of a traveller to include ‘all other persons with a cultural tradition of nomadism or living in a caravan.’  This had resulted in an increase in the number of people who would fall into the category of traveller.

In terms of gypsies and travellers, the identified need of 37 pitches arising from those households who met the planning definition was required to be met directly from site allocations (either by allocating new sites or expanding existing sites).  The need of 4 pitches arising from households with undetermined need would be met through criteria-based policies.  The five-year need for gypsies and travellers was 21 pitches.

In terms of travelling showpeople, the identified need of 6 plots arising from those households who met the planning definition was required to be met directly from site allocations (either by allocating new sites or expanding existing sites).  The need of 10 plots arising from households with undetermined need would be met through criteria-based policies.  The five-year need for travelling showpeople was 6 plots.

A call for sites to help identify any potential additional sites had been undertaken, ending on 4 August 2025.  However, this had resulted in little interest from landowners and there had been only one formal submission.  This had included two sites, one of which was currently subject to a planning application for dwellings and was therefore unavailable.  The other site was subject to a planning application for gypsy pitches which was awaiting validation; it therefore did not represent a new site.

In terms of the strategy for meeting the need, the Senior Planning Officer reported that there were a number of pending planning applications which would result in a new gain of 6 gypsy pitches in the event that all were approved.  A further planning application to change the conditions of an existing permission would result in 5 further static caravans at one site if approved, although this would not necessarily equate to 5 pitches at the current time given that they may be used by existing families.  There was therefore currently a deficit of c 15 gypsy pitches (or potentially 10) compared to the five-year need, and so the potential for expansion of existing sites would need to be investigated, as well as other options such as allocating provision within larger housing sites.

Additionally, many of the existing travelling showpeople sites appeared to be at full capacity with little room for expansion due to site constraints, although this would also require further investigation.  

In response to a question officers advised that it would be important to be able to demonstrate at Examination that as much as possible had been done to seek to meet the need.  In the event that it were not possible, the Council would need to make the case for this and look at a criteria-based policy for the outstanding need.  However, at this stage the expectation was that the need could be met.

Committee Members asked questions about the detail of the report and individual sites which were responded to by officers.

RESOLVED:

That the Local Plan Sub-Committee:

(i)         notes the contents of the report;

(ii)        agrees to publish the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment July 2025 to the emerging Local Plan Evidence Base (available on the Local Plan webpage); and

(iii)       recommends to the Policy & Resources Committee the update to the ‘Provision for Gypsys, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople’ policy.