Woking Borough Council

CS14 Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

The Council is committed to providing appropriate housing to meet the needs of the whole community. This includes the provision of sufficient suitable sites for the Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople community which is at an affordable price.

Woking currently has one publicly owned Gypsy and Traveller site at the Hatchingtan, Worplesdon which has 16 pitches. There are also two privately owned sites in the Borough (Five Acres, Brookwood - 10 pitches and Ten Acre Farm, Mayford - three pitches). There are currently no pitches for Travelling Showpeople in the Borough.

The North Surrey Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) identified that there is a need to provide an additional 10 pitches in the Borough between 2006 and 2016. By September 2010, seven of these pitches had already been provided through an extension of the Brookwood site, and there is a recent unimplemented permission for an additional three pitches on that site, meaning that the Council has been successful in meeting the short-term need for additional pitches in the Borough.

In addition, there is a need for one pitch to meet the needs of Travelling Showpeople over the Plan period.

It is recognised that mobile homes are highly vulnerable to flooding (as classified in the Flood Risk Vulnerability Classification table in PPS25). As set out in policy CS9, flood risk is a major determining factor when considering all site allocations and the determination of all planning applications, including those for Gypsy and Traveller pitches.

CS14: Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

The Council will make provision for ten additional pitches for Gypsies and Travellers in the Borough between 2017 and 2027.

Provision will also be made for one pitch suitable for the needs of Travelling Showpeople by 2027.

Sites to meet this need will be identified in the Site Allocations DPD. A sequential approach will be taken in identifying suitable sites for allocation, with sites in the urban area being considered before those in the Green Belt. Where no sites are available in the urban area, priority will be given to sites on the edge of the urban area that benefit from good access to jobs, shops and other infrastructure and services. A demonstrated lack of any deliverable sites in the urban area would provide very special circumstances necessary to allocate sites in the Green Belt. Any site to be released from the Green Belt will be informed by the Green Belt boundary review to be carried out in 2016. A Habitats Regulations Assessment will be carried out of any site that is allocated in the Green Belt to determine whether there is a need for an Appropriate Assessment. Any site considered for allocation must be deliverable (including affordable to its intended occupiers) so as to ensure that needs are met.

The following criteria will be taken into consideration when determining the allocation of land for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople and any planning applications for non allocated sites.

  • The site should have safe vehicular access from the highway and have adequate parking provision and turning areas.
  • The site should have adequate amenity for its intended occupiers, including space for related business activities.
  • The site should not have unacceptable adverse impacts on the visual amenity and character of the area.
  • The site should have adequate infrastructure and on-site utilities to service the number of pitches proposed.
  • The site should have safe and reasonable access to schools and other local facilities.

Existing authorised sites for Gypsies and Travellers will be safeguarded from development that would preclude the continued occupation by these groups, unless the site is no longer required to meet identified need.

*Note that there is an existing unimplemented permission for 3 pitches. The Council is confident that this permission will be implemented before 2016. The Council will monitor progress on implementation. The need up to 2016 would have been met when this extant planning permission is implemented.

Reasoned justification

In accordance with PPG2: Green Belts and Circulars 01/2006 and 04/2007, the Council will take a sequential approach to the identification of sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople through the Site Allocations DPD and when assessing individual planning applications. Sites within the urban area will therefore be explored before sites within the Green Belt are considered. Any site to be released from the Green Belt will be informed by the Green Belt boundary review that is scheduled to be carried out in 2016. Where no sites within the urban area can be identified, priority will be given to sites located on the edge of the urban area where there is good accessibility to key local services. Whilst the Council recognises that Gypsy and Traveller accommodation should be provided first within settlements, it recognises that in reality this is very difficult to achieve. There are unlikely to be appropriate sites within the built-up areas, and individuals and groups will not normally be able to compete in the market for sites where residential development would be acceptable. As such, an exceptions approach to provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople is adopted, both for considering planning applications and for any necessary site allocations. The policy approach applies to transit sites, permanent sites and sites for Travelling Showpeople.

Based on evidence contained in the GTAA, the Council have already met the need identified for Gypsies and Travellers up to 2016. The Council will make the assumption that, based on the GTAA, the need for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation over the period 2017 - 2027 will be of a similar quantity and will therefore make provision for an additional 10 pitches in the Borough during that period. The GTAA will be updated in 2011 and the Council will review this estimate to reflect the outcome of the updated assessment.

Due to the nature of their work, pitches for Travelling Showpeople are likely to include some land for the storage and maintenance of equipment. The Council will consider imposing conditions limiting the proportion of a pitch which may be covered by equipment or the hours during which equipment may be tested.

The layout of proposed Gypsy and Travellers sites/ pitches should comply with the design principles set out by Government practice guidance which is currently in the form of `Designing Gypsy and Traveller sites' (May 2008). The layout of sites for Travelling Showpeople should comply with the latest Government Guidance available, and also take into consideration the design recommendations from the Showmen's Guild.

The tenure of sites (i.e. whether they will be private or public sites) will be considered through the Site Allocations DPD, taking into consideration the information within the North Surrey GTAA and any future updates to that study, the wishes expressed by the Travelling community within the Borough, and the sources of finance available.

Delivery strategy

This policy will be delivered through working in partnership with the Travelling community to allocate sites in the Site Allocations DPD, to progress applications through the planning system and to explore available Government grants to assist in the delivery of sites.

The needs of the Gypsy and Traveller community will be kept under review through a refresh of the GTAA.

Should the monitoring indicators (below) indicate that demand outstrips supply; the Council may review the policy and seek to allocate additional sites to meet need.

Monitoring and review

This policy will be measured against the following indicators and targets annually through the AMR to enable the Council to effectively manage the availability of sites in order to ensure that demand does not significantly outstrip supply.

  • The delivery of three additional pitches for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation between 2010 and 2016.
  • The delivery of 10 additional pitches for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation between 2017 and 2027.
  • The delivery of one pitch for Travelling Showpeople by 2027.
  • The level of need identified in the GTAA measured against supply.
  • The number of unauthorised or illegal encampments or developments and enforcement actions carried out.
  • The number of unauthorised or illegal encampments or developments and enforcement actions carried out.

Key evidence base

  • Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), 2009 and 2010 update.
  • Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA), 2006, produced by Anglia Ruskin University.