Gypsy and travellers needs assessment

Background

The Housing Act 2004 places a duty on each local housing authority to undertake a Gypsy and Traveller Housing Needs Assessment.

In order to achieve best value, six local authorities – Kennet District Council, North Wiltshire District Council, Salisbury District Council, Swindon Borough Council, West Wiltshire District Council and Wiltshire County Council - jointly commissioned a report. This approach allowed a more in-depth survey to be undertaken than otherwise would have been possible, including exploration of education and health issues. The study was undertaken by David Couttie Associates (DCA) using recognised models of good practice.

The study set out to:

  1. determine whether there is existing adequate provision across the county for gypsy and travellers and, if not, where and how future needs should be addressed, and
  2. provide a planning framework to inform each authority’s development plan documents and ensure a consistent planning approach to gypsy and traveller needs across the county.

The information gained from the study will be used to inform the council’s Housing Strategy and help with the progressing of its Local Development Framework (LDF). The Local Development Scheme identifies the survey of gypsy and travellers as part of the evidence base for the preparation of the LDF’s Core Strategy. Circular 1/2006 states:

The core strategy should set out criteria for the location of gypsy and traveller sites which will be used to guide the allocation of sites in relevant development plan documents. These criteria will also be used to meet unexpected demand.

The survey is therefore a key piece of research informing the development of future planning and housing policies.

Consultation

Consultation was a key component of the assessment. This included discussions with organisations and agencies involved with the gypsy and traveller community, liaison with community leaders before site visits took place, and face to face interviews with gypsy and traveller households.

A final draft of the report was subject to direct consultation with the gypsy and traveller community at an event held on 31 July 2007 at the Corn Exchange in Devizes. A record of the consultation event has been appended to the full report. It was very well attended with over 70 participants from several gypsy and traveller sites across the county represented. Generally there was support for the recommendation that more pitches are needed. Areas of concern related to the definition of overcrowding and the estimate of household formation rates.

Validation of the reports findings through consultation is an essential part of the process if the findings are to be used as evidence to Salisbury’s core strategy and housing strategy.

Key findings

The headline information is that there is a need for an additional 47 new authorised site pitches to be made available between 2006 and 2011 to:

  1. deal with the backlog of demand existing within the study area,
  2. meet emerging demand from new family formation, and
  3. meet demand arising from the temporary planning permissions due to expire on Minety in North Wiltshire, and Bonnie Park in West Wiltshire.

The final report includes an action plan to take forward the recommendations of the report. Some actions will need to be taken forward through the council’s housing strategy, for example, developing partnership working with the gypsy and traveller community. Some will be led by planning services, for example developing a policy to support gypsy and traveller households to access the planning system. Others will require additional research, for example a more in depth assessment of overcrowding.

It is proposed, therefore, that the project team set up to oversee the assessment, which includes planners, housing officers, gypsy liaison officers and representatives from education and social services from across the study area, continues to meet to take forward the action plan and develop a Gypsy and Traveller Strategy for Wiltshire. The final strategy will need to reflect the outcomes of any additional research carried out as recommended by the report.

Download the report

Contact details:

Telephone:
01722 434485

Fax:
01722 434530

email:
housingadvice@salisbury.gov.uk...

Postal address:
Housing Services
26 Endless Street
Salisbury
SP1 1DR