Traveller Accommodation Assessment
The Council is committed to providing appropriate accommodation to meet the needs of the whole community. This includes provision of sufficient, suitable sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople (hereafter collectively known as `travellers').
Woking currently has one public site at the Hatchingtan, Worplesdon, which has 16 pitches. The site is managed by Surrey County Council. There are also two private sites within the Borough - Five Ares, Brookwood which has 13 pitches, and Ten Acre Farm, Mayford which has 3 pitches. There are also several pitches in Woking which have temporary planning permission. There are currently no sites for Travelling Showpeople in the Borough.
The Government requires local authorities to demonstrate a rolling five year supply of suitable sites for travellers, which must be based on an up-to-date assessment of accommodation needs. The Council has therefore prepared a Travellers Accommodation Assessment (TAA) 2013 which updates the 2007 North Surrey Gypsy Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA). It informs future planning policies and site allocations.
The Council has also recently published a Position Statement (in November 2019) on meeting the accommodation needs of Gypies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople given the updated National Planning Policy on Traveller Sites (updated in 2015).
Relevant information: