Gypsy, traveller and travelling showpeople accommodation policy

HO7: Gypsy, traveller and travelling showpeople accommodation policy. 1. Proposals for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation sites will be supported in line with the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment. Proposals will be required to meet the following criteria: a) Sites should be suitably designed, and the layout include sufficient space to accommodate the proposed number of caravans, provision of day rooms, space for tourer caravans, landscaping, SuDs mitigation, Biodiversity Net Gain, vehicles and ancillary areas as appropriate. Larger sites should provide residents some amenity space on site. b) It has reasonable and safe access to existing local services and facilities (which should include food shops, schools, healthcare and public transport). c) The size and scale of the site, alone or in combination with other nearby traveller sites, respects the size and density of the local settled community and does not dominate the nearest settled community. d) Have safe and suitable vehicular access without giving rise to adverse impacts on highway safety. Wherever possible, there should also be safe and suitable pedestrian and cycle access provided. e) Be able to achieve a reasonable level of visual and acoustic privacy for both people living on the site and those living nearby. f) Not have a significantly adverse impact on environmental assets such as the countryside, protected landscapes, the historic environment, biodiversity, watercourses (including an ecological buffer zone), open space and green infrastructure. g) The site should not be located where there is a risk of flooding or be affected by environmental hazards that may affect residents’ health or welfare. h) The site must be capable of being adequately serviced by drinking water, utilities and sewerage disposal facilities. 2. In the case of Travelling Showpeople, proposals will also be assessed, considering the needs for mixed use yards, and the nature and scale of the Travelling Showpeople’s business, in terms of land required for storage and/or the exercising of animals. 3. Sites meeting an identified need will be conditioned for the occupation of the intended occupiers. 7.38 This policy sets out a criteria-based approach to assess potential allocations, and any applications for new sites, or for expanding current sites, within Buckinghamshire. This is required to ensure that Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation is provided in suitable locations. When considering the location of a proposed site, and whether it has reasonable and safe access to local services and facilities, regard should be given to whether there are known to be children living on the site and, if so, access to schools is of particular importance. The larger the site being proposed, the more important access to services and facilities becomes. 7.39 It is important to identify sites that are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally; have access to services, facilities and potential sources of employment; and which will promote inclusive communities, but which will not be out of scale with or dominate nearby settled communities. When considering whether a proposed Gypsy and Traveller site would dominate settled communities, regard will be given to existing Gypsy and Traveller sites outside the Buckinghamshire boundary but still near the settled community. As set out in the national planning guidance, there is no presumption that a temporary grant of planning permission should be made permanent. 7.40 For Gypsy and Traveller pitches previous guidance 4 has recommended that, as a general guide, an average family pitch must be capable of accommodating an amenity building, a large trailer (a static caravan or park home) and touring caravan, parking space for two vehicles and a small garden area. Although there is no guidance on the size of a pitch, the GTAA recommends an average pitch size of 320m 2. It is important however to allow for a variety of different sized pitches, to accommodate different family’s needs and to help contribute toward affordability. 7.41 For Travelling Showpeople, a plot is a space occupied by one household and often includes space to store and maintain equipment. There is no recent standard on plot size; however, The Showmen’s Guild recommends an average plot size of 2,000 m². This guidance is dated and does not consider changes in practices amongst Travelling Showpeople. Flexibility in plot size will allow for different family make-up, business uses and affordability.