Travelling People: Caravan Sites

Anne Milton
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has given to (a) regional planning bodies and (b) local authorities on planning for more traveller sites.

Mr. Iain Wright
The Government’s statutory and policy framework on the provision of Gypsy and Traveller sites is set out in circular ODPM 1/06 “Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Sites”, published in February 2006. This is accompanied by guidance on “Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessments” (final version published October 2007).

The Department has also provided guidance to (a) Regional Planning Bodies “Preparing Regional Spatial Strategy reviews on Gypsies and Travellers by regional planning bodies”, which proposes a methodology for identifying pitch requirement at regional level based on Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessments; and draft guidance to (b) local authorities on Gypsy and Traveller site design and management.

These publications can all be found on the Communities and Local Government website:

http://www.communities.gov.uk.

Anne Milton
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria her Department uses to assess whether a local authority is required to plan to establish more authorised traveller sites.

Mr. Iain Wright
The Housing Act 2004 requires all local housing authorities to carry out an assessment of the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers residing in or resorting to their district as they are required to assess the accommodation needs of all citizens in its area. Regional Assemblies will consider the results of these assessments in setting out in Regional Spatial Strategies the number of pitches that must be provided in each local planning authority area.