Gypsies and Travellers

The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012: Preparation of a Local Plan (Regulation 18: PREFERRED OPTIONS)

Public Consultation on Arun Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (G&T DPD) – 1st October until 5pm on 26th November 2020.

The Council is required to plan for the needs of Gypsy and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople in accordance with Government guidance. The Preferred Options document seeks to identify sites across the District that will provide for the identified need of Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople.

The Preferred Options take a positive approach to safeguarding existing sites within the District, proposing intensification on some of these and proposing to allocate a broad location to meet the identified need.  At this stage of public consultation, the Council is seeking input and views from the widest range of stakeholders, interest groups and residents on any further issues that should be considered and on assessing the preferred options for providing for that identified need. It is important to note that in order to facilitate responses; the Arun Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (G&T DPD) –  PREFERRED OPTIONS document sets out the context for consideration of these preferred options, including national and regional policies and the available evidence base / statistical background. 

Representations Procedure

The G&T DPD Preferred Options, Sustainability Appraisal and other supporting documents are:

PLEASE NOTE:
Due to COVID-19 restrictions we are unable to have any hard copy deposit points so the documents can only be viewed electronically.  This complies with the temporary suspensions in the Arun Statement of Community Involvement.   

All comments must be received by 26th November 2020 (by 5pm) and can be made:

email localplan@arun.gov.uk

Via our online consultation portal

by post (using the comment form) to:
Planning Policy and Conservation
Arun District Council
Arun Civic Centre
Maltravers Road
Littlehampton
BN17 5LF

You are strongly encouraged to respond directly in your own words to the consultation via the council’s consultation portal which may be more efficient and accurate and does not rely on inputting of responses. 

Please note that anonymous comments will not be accepted – all comments received will be included on our website (including your name but not your address or email details).

We will comply with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and your details will be collected in accordance with Arun District Council’s Privacy Policy.

Gypsy & Traveller and Traveller Showpeople DPD

  1. Draft G&T Preferred Options DPD[pdf] 859KB
     
  2. Draft G&T Polices Map with Insets [pdf] 7MB
     
  3. Draft G&T Inset Maps [pdf] 9MB
     
  4. Draft G&T Flood Zone Map [pdf] 5MB
     
  5. SA Technical Note G&T DPD [pdf] 1MB

Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (G&T DPD)

Arun District Council is committed to developing sustainable communities that are safe, healthy and inclusive.

Providing the amount and type of housing that meets the needs of all sectors of the community - including gypsies and travellers and travelling showpeople - will:

  • Contribute towards a better quality of life
  • Promote better integration and co-existence with the settled community
  • Reduce the number of unauthorised encampments

The Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (G&T DPD) represents a positive approach to meeting the existing and future need for permanent Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in Arun for the period to 2036 - and to also meet the requirements of the Government's Planning Policy for Traveller Sites.

The Government's Planning Policy for Traveller Sites requires us to:

  • Establish needs
  • Identify a sufficient supply of sites to meet this need over the plan period
  • Provide five years’ worth of supply of specific deliverable sites set against a locally set target

Establishing needs

The current Coastal West Sussex GTAA Final Report [pdf] 3MB sets out the need identified for Gypsies and Travellers and travelling showpeople accommodation within Arun for the period 2018 to 2036.

Meeting Need

Gypsy & Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site identification Study 2019

A Gypsy & Traveller Site Identification Study 2019 (G&TSIS 2019) has been carried out to look at all reasonable options for sites that could accommodate the identified need set out in the GTAA 2019 through provision of permanent gypsy and traveller and traveller showmen accommodation.

The process included a ‘call for sites’ that asked all stakeholders including the district’s town and parish councils to submit potential sites within their areas.

The FINAL Arun G&T Report Final April 2019 [pdf] 21MB  sets out the potential site provision within Arun to accommodate the identified need for Gypsies and Travellers and travelling showpeople within Arun for the period to 2036. 

Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (G&T DPD) Issues & Options

The Council is undertaking an Issues and Options public consultation from 8 July until 5pm on 2 September on the first stage of preparing its Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (G&T DPD).  The Issues & Options document and accompanying evidence documents can be accessed online via our portal or below:

comments form GT DPD [docx] 132KB

Further periods of public consultation are planned with a Preferred Draft later in 2019 and Regulation 19 Publication (during Spring) 2020. The G&T DPD production timetable can be seen in the Council’s Local Development Scheme.

Sustainability appraisal

Full Sustainability Appraisal is not required until Regulation 18 draft plan stage. However, an early Sustainability Appraisal Report [pdf] 3MB  assessment has been carried out for the sites which will shape the Issues & Options Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (G&T DPD) in order to make sure that the plan being prepared is the most sustainable.

More information

For more information see the FAQs [docx] 58KB

Coastal West Sussex Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) October 2018

The primary objective of this Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) October 2018, is to provide a robust assessment of current and future need for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People.  The GTAA will form the evidence base to inform the allocation of sites through the Arun District Council Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD).  This DPD will identify and allocate land for permanent pitches to meet the need identified to 2036.

The Planning Policy Sub-Committee at its meeting of 5th December 2018 noted the proposed approach and timetable for the preparation of the Arun District Council Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) covering the period 2018-2036, including the key outputs of the Coastal West Sussex GTAA Final Report [pdf] 4MB

Note that the GTAA October 2018 was replaced by the GTAA April 2019. The reason for the revision is to confirm that the outcomes of the report have not been endorsed by the South Downs National Park (SDNP) Authority. In addition, some of the figures in the report relating to SDNP have also been changed. None of these changes impacted on the outputs for Arun District Local Planning Authority Area. The 2019 GTAA can be accessed here: Coastal West Sussex GTAA Final Report [pdf] 3MB

West Sussex Authorities - Transit Site Study (2013)

The objectives of the study are:

  • to assess whether transit provision would assist in managing illegal encampments; and

  • to inform the partners about the pros and cons of transit site provision.

This study aims to draw on work already undertaken across the authorities in West Sussex and also additional work with stakeholders and the experience of other Councils who already have transit sites.

West Sussex Authorities - Transit Site Study 2013 [pdf] 747KB

Accommodation Assessment (2013)

The main objective of this study is to provide the Councils with robust, defensible and up-to-date evidence about the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople in the Coastal West Sussex authorities during the period until 2027. The study also seeks to identify broad locations for any additional provision required.

Coastal West Sussex Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation Assessment - Executive Summary[pdf] 3MB

Coastal West Sussex Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation Assessment - Final Document [pdf] 4MB

Gypsy & Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Assessment: Update Report [pdf] 1MB

Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Sites Study (2013)

The results of this study will inform the development of relevant policies and allocations for inclusion in emerging Local Plans and to guide the consideration of future planning applications for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites.

Gypsy Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Sites Study 2013. This is document PELVP14.

Revised Q&A Brief for the GTAA Phase 2 [pdf] 49KB

Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Show People Sites Study (2009)

The main purpose of this study is to identify a shortlist of potential sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People to meet future needs which the Council can now consider further through the statutory planning process. 

Baker Associates Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Sites Study Report [pdf] 25MB