Agenda item

Gypsies, Travellers & Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Progress Update

To receive and consider the attached report of the Chief Planning Officer

Minutes:

  Members considered a report of the Chief Planning Officer providing an update on the legislative and policy background; the current authorised provision in Leeds and the approach to allocating sites

  Officers presented the report and advised that the Core Strategy had identified levels of Gypsy and Traveller need for public and private provision, the need figures, in addition to the existing authorised 48 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, being additional provision for 62 Gypsy and Traveller households and 15 Travelling Showpeople in Leeds

  Details of the requirements for suitable sites for Gypsies and Travellers were outlined in the submitted report.  A list of 83 sites had been assessed which had been reduced to around 37 sites, which were still undergoing assessment.  The merits of providing accommodation for smaller sites – to house around 5 – 6 families were being considered and that Ward Members would be invited to comment on proposals in their areas

  The Panel discussed the report, with the main areas of discussion relating to:

·  the need to consider Travelling Showpeople separately from Gypsies and Travellers; possibly having two separate policies or if not, at least two separate reports to Panel

·  the change of direction towards providing smaller sites; the benefits of these in terms of being self-policing and accommodating smaller numbers of families, often who were inter-related

·  detailed issues in respect of the existing supply of sites listed in the report before Panel, including the reference to Ilkley Road, which was part of the road, was in a floodplain and was not considered to be suitable as a Gypsy and Traveller site

·  the process for identifying such sites; the SAP which had to allocate sites for all uses; the stated local preference for smaller sites; where this had emanated from; that Elected Members had not been given the opportunity to consider and discuss the proposals; the need for transparency and for a list of possible sites to be provided.  The possibility of adopting the same approach taken to other allocations, whereby Development Plan Panel workshops were held to discuss proposals which were then worked up into a formal report for consideration by Panel, was suggested.  On this point the Chair emphasised the need for Officers to engage with Members affected by possible allocation of sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople well before any agreement to release the draft SAP for public consultation

·  the need to differentiate between public and private sites in the report; to set out criteria for private sites; to give an indication of the sites Officers were considering and to have a robust mechanism in place for this

·  that there was some unmet need, despite the report indicating this was not the case

·  the reference to negotiated stopping and the need for clarification of this.  The Head of Forward Planning and Implementation advised this related to local people stopping temporarily

·  the success of the small site at Kidacre Street and its support by Ward Members

·  the issue of sites for Travelling Showpeople; that their needs were different and that finding a secure location for their equipment and in some cases also a caravan were the priorities

·  the accuracy of the report in terms of occupied sites, with additional sites, including one former site, which could be investigated for additional provision

·  that the table on page 61 of the submitted report was confusing in terms of numbers and how a temporary travelling show person pitch could be defined

In rounding off the discussions on the report, the Chief Planning Officer advised that the Core Strategy set out the policy and the numbers and welcomed information from Members about authorised sites which had not been referenced in the report.   That cultural identity and the importance of having sites which could accommodate facilities on and off site was stressed

RESOLVED -  To note the progress on identifying Gypsy and

Traveller sites, including sites for Travelling Showpeople, for the Site Allocations Plan and Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan

 

 

Supporting documents: