Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 19)

Ended on the 29 November 2024

Accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

8.33. In accordance with national guidance, the Dudley Local Plan aims to provide sufficient, appropriately designed, and integrated sites to accommodate the needs of the gypsy, traveller and travelling show people communities over the plan period.        

Policy DLP15 Accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

  1. New Gypsy and Traveller permanent pitches will be provided to meet identified needs up to 2041 as set out in Table 8.4 in accordance with the Black Country Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) 2022 and 2023 addendum.
  2. Accommodation need for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople over the Plan period will be met through sites with planning permission, allocated sites and other sites granted planning permission during the Plan period in accordance with the criteria set out below. Dudley Council will pursue funding and / or management arrangements for new sites, or expansion of sites where necessary.
  3. Applications for permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches and Travelling Showpeople plots will only be supported where all of the following criteria are met:
    1. The site should be suitable as a place to live, particularly regarding health and safety, and the development should be designed to provide adequate levels of privacy and amenity for both occupants and neighbouring uses.
    2. The site should meet moderate standards of access to residential services as set out in Policy DLP11
    3. The site should be located and designed to facilitate integration with neighbouring communities.
    4. The site should be suitable to allow for the planned number of pitches, an amenity block, a play area, access roads, parking and an area set aside for work purposes where appropriate, including, in the case of Travelling Showpeople, sufficient level space for outdoor storage and maintenance of equipment.
    5. There is safe and convenient pedestrian and vehicular access to and from the public highway and adequate space for parking and manoeuvring within the site.
    6. There is no conflict with other relevant policies such as those relating to the protection of the Green Belt, other greenfield land and industrial land, local distinctiveness and those concerned with development within areas at risk of flooding or on contaminated land.
    7. The site should be served or capable of being served by adequate on-site services for water supply, power, drainage, sewage, waste disposal (storage and collection) and recycling.
  4. The location, design and facilities provided on new sites will be determined in consultation with local Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople and will also consider / reflect any available national guidance. Proposals should be well designed as set out in Policy DLP4.
  5. Existing Traveller sites will be safeguarded and their redevelopment or use for other purposes will be opposed, unless there is evidence either that a suitable replacement with equivalent capacity has been provided elsewhere or that the existing site is no longer required to meet identified need.
Justification

8.34. Dudley Council along with Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils commissioned a joint Black Country Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment which was completed in February 2022. The study provides a robust assessment of needs in accordance with national guidance and identified the likely future local need for Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation.

8.35. DLP Part Two provides details of sites allocated in the DLP for Gypsy and Traveller pitches. Planning permission will also be granted for additional sites that meet the criteria set out in Policy DLP15, where appropriate.

8.36. Permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches, and Travelling Showpeople plots, have fixed infrastructure with all the normal residential amenities and are used as a base to travel from. They are intended to allow Gypsies and Travellers to obtain good access to education, health, and other services. It is important that pitches and plots are well designed in line with Secured by Design principles (as per Policy DLP39), and it is recommended that advice is sought from West Midlands Police Design Out Crime Officers.

8.37. The GTAA identified that Gypsies and Travellers prefer small, family-sized sites with approximately 10-15 pitches, but will accept larger sites if carefully planned and designed in consultation with the Gypsy community. Local authorities may assist Gypsies and Travellers living on their own land without planning permission to obtain retrospective planning permission where this is deemed appropriate.

Gypsy and Traveller Permanent Pitches

8.38. The 2022 GTAA need figures (including an updated figure to 2041) are provided in table 8.4.              

Table 8.4 Summary of accommodation needs to 2041

Period

Ethnic definition

PPTS 2015

'travel for all'

Total 2021-26

22

13

Total 2026-31

7

6

Total 2031-36

8

7

Total 2036-41

9

8

Total 2021-41

46

34

RRR 2023 – updated Addendum Gypsy and Traveller Needs figures to 2041

8.39. Based on the PPTS 2015 'travel for all' definition the total need identified is for 19 pitches up to 2031, and an additional 15 pitches from 2031 to 2041, providing an overall need of 34 pitches over the Plan period. The ethnic definition identified a total need identified is for 29 pitches up to 2031, and an additional 17 pitches from 2031 to 2041, providing an overall need of 46 pitches over the Plan period The evidence supports the following approach towards meeting need:

  1. safeguard existing gypsy and traveller pitches;
  2. allocate existing temporary or unauthorised sites for permanent use (subject to other planning considerations);
  3. intensify and extend existing sites, where appropriate;
  4. carry forward existing pitch allocations from adopted Plans;
  5. allocate new pitches on sites which have emerged since adopted Plans.

Table 8.5 Dudley Supply of Gypsy and Traveller Permanent Pitches Up to 2041

Total requirement Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation over the period 2021 - 2041 (based on ethnic definition/PPTS 2015 "travel for all")

46/34 pitches

Existing authorised pitches in use

41

Additional capacity (on existing authorised sites)

13

Total Provision

54

Total new pitches required to 2041

(Need minus additional capacity)

33/21

8.40. Despite assessing several sites, no deliverable site options were put forward for Dudley borough through either the Black Country Plan two "call for sites" or the subsequent Dudley Local Plan 'call for sites' process. It is likely that the Council will have a shortfall in meeting the need for the Plan period.

8.41. If is not possible to identify and allocate further sites to meet the remaining need for 33/21 pitches up to 2041, the remaining need will be met within the "broad location" of the Dudley urban area, through the planning application process, with proposals considered against the criteria set out in Policy DLP15 and any other relevant Local Plan policies. This is consistent with a recent trend, where a small windfall site has come forward within the urban area and approved in accordance with other planning policies.             

8.42. The GTAA identifies a need for 46 pitches over the Plan period for those families / individuals that meet the ethnic definition set out in the GTAA, but do not meet the PPTS travel for all definition, and whose needs are not met by bricks and mortar accommodation. This need will seek to be met within the urban area, through the planning application process, with proposals considered against the criteria set out in Policy DLP15 and any other relevant Local Plan policies.

Travelling Showpeople Plots

8.43. Travelling Showpeople have different accommodation requirements to those of Gypsies and Travellers, and form part of a different community. They require large plots capable of accommodating lorries and equipment, which are more suited to mixed use areas.

8.44. The GTAA identifies a need for 24 Travelling Showpeople plots over the Plan period. It is not possible to identify and allocate sites to meet this need, as no deliverable site options have been put forward through both Dudley borough through either the Black Country Plan two "call for sites" or the subsequent Dudley Local Plan call for sites process. Therefore, this need will be met within the "broad location" of the urban area, through the planning application process, with proposals considered against the criteria set out in Policy DLP15 and any other relevant Local Plan policies.

8.45. The GTAA identified a need for a transit site to be provided in Dudley to meet the needs of Travellers and help prevent the occurrence of unauthorised encampments. A permanent transit site was approved in December 2022; therefore, this need has been addressed.

Evidence
  • Black Country Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (2022)
  • Black Country Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment: Updated Needs Figures to 2041 (2023)
Delivery
  • Allocations in Local Plan Documents and bids for Government funding where required.
  • Planning applications determined through the Development Management process
Monitoring
  • Development Management – applications determined.
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