Policy information sourced from the East Herts District Plan
HOU9 Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople
To meet identified local need, pitches for Gypsies and Travellers and plots for Travelling Showpeople will be provided within the District at the following locations:
| Gypsies and Travellers | |
|---|---|
| The Stables, Bayford | 3 additional pitches (2 to be provided in the period up to 2022; and 1 between 2022 and 2027) within the allocated site area. |
| Birchall Garden Suburb, East of Welwyn Garden City (EWEL1) | 4 pitches (2 to be provided between 2022 and 2027; and 2 to allow for longer-term accommodation needs) for East Herts within an area sufficient to accommodate a total of 15 pitches (11 for Welwyn Hatfield) to meet the accommodation needs of both East Herts and Welwyn Hatfield and/or for future expansion, as evidence of need dictates. |
| The Gilston Area (GA1) | To allow for longer-term accommodation needs, an area of suitable land should be safeguarded that would allow for future provision of a total of 15 pitches, to be delivered towards the end of the Plan period and/or beyond, as evidence of need dictates. |
| Travelling Showpeople | |
| East of Stevenage (EOS1) | 5 plots (each of sufficient size to allow for the provision of accommodation and equipment plus storage/maintenance). |
| North and East of Ware (WARE2) | 4 plots (each of sufficient size to allow for the provision of accommodation and equipment plus storage/maintenance) North and East of Ware (WARE2) within the first phase of development to be provided within a larger area that should be safeguarded to allow for future expansion to a total of 8 plots, as evidence of need dictates. |
| The Gilston Area (GA1) | To allow for longer-term accommodation needs, an area of suitable land should be safeguarded that would allow for future provision of a total of 8 plots (each of sufficient size to allow for the provision of accommodation and equipment plus storage/maintenance), to be delivered towards the end of the Plan period and/or beyond, as evidence of need dictates. |
In order to identify exact locations within the areas allocated to meet the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople listed above, and to assess suitability where planning applications are submitted for non-allocated sites, the following criteria should be satisfied:
- the site is in a sustainable location in terms of accessibility to existing local services;
- the site is suitable in terms of vehicular access to the highway, parking, turning, road safety and servicing arrangements and has access to essential services such as water supply, sewerage, drainage, and waste disposal;
- proposals make adequate provision for on-site facilities for storage, play, residential amenity and sufficient on-site utility services for the number of pitches or plots proposed;
- the proposal is well related to the size and location of the site and respects the scale of the nearest settled community;
- the site can be integrated into the local area to allow for successful co-existence between the site and the settled community;
- proposals provide for satisfactory residential amenity both within the site and with neighbouring occupiers and thereby do not detrimentally affect the amenity of local residents by reason of on-site business activities, noise, disturbance, or loss of privacy;
- proposals ensure that the occupation and use of the site would not cause undue harm to the visual amenity and character of the area and should be capable of being assimilated into the surrounding landscape without significant adverse effect;
- the site is not affected by environmental hazards that may affect the residents’ health or welfare or be located in an area of high risk of flooding, including functional floodplains;
- within nationally recognised designations, proposals would not compromise the objectives of the designation.
Proposals for sites accommodating Travelling Showpeople should additionally allow for a mixed use yard with areas for residential provision and the storage and maintenance of equipment. All other proposals for mixed residential and business activities will be assessed on a site specific basis, taking the above criteria into account.
New traveller sites (whether temporary or permanent) in the Green Belt are inappropriate development and will not be approved except in very special circumstances.
Any development granted under this policy will be subject to a condition limiting occupation to Gypsies and Travellers or Travelling Showpeople, as appropriate.
Existing authorised sites for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople will be safeguarded from development which would preclude their continued occupation by these groups, unless acceptable replacement accommodation can be provided or the site is no longer required to meet an identified need.
For more information please see the District Plan