Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople site design

HO.10 Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople site design Applications for new sites must adhere to the following principles and be accompanied by a site layout plan that demonstrates that the site is able to accommodate the number of pitches and/or plots sought in a manner which will accord with the requirements of this policy. A. Design Principles New Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites must meet the following requirements: 1. The site and all the accommodation provided benefits from suitable provision of essential services including water, power, sewerage, drainage and waste disposal. For drainage, this is to be demonstrated by an appropriate Drainage Strategy. 2. The site must be well landscaped, including through the provision of high- quality boundary treatments such as timber post and rail fencing and native planting. Incongruous or imposing boundary treatment such as metal fencing will not be acceptable. 3. Proposals must ensure efficient use of land, whilst ensuring that a good standard of amenity is provided for the occupiers and ensure that the site is not overcrowded. 4. The site layout must respond positively to the relevant site constraints and must have regard to how the layout can contribute to the promotion of health and well-being such as ensuring adequate landscaping and play areas for children and achieve a reasonable level of visual and acoustic privacy and amenity for people living on the site and for those living nearby. 5. The design must ensure that the site appears as an open community integrated with its surroundings; B. Site Requirements Each pitch must measure at least 500 square metres (0.05ha) and provide as a minimum in order to accommodate a single household: • hard standing for a touring caravan (enabling households to travel); • hard standing for a static caravan (including double static trailers); • 2 car parking spaces; • an amenity building; • hard standing for a storage shed and drying; and • an amenity / garden area The above facilities will be laid out to facilitate low maintenance and to ensure the safety of residents and allow ease of movement, whether walking, cycling or driving. On shared family sites it may be suitable to provide a communal amenity building as opposed to individual buildings in order to combat loneliness and provide a hub for support services to residents. However, on multi- family sites individual amenity buildings will be required. Any storage areas provided need to be designed and located in a manner which ensures that they are not visually prominent and do not have an unacceptable impact on the character of the area or neighbouring properties. C. Travelling Showpeople Yards To ensure a good standard of residential amenity with Travelling Showpeople accommodation, there must be separate areas identified for the stationing of caravans and for the maintenance and repair of fairground equipment. To avoid conflict between vehicles and residents any lorries, trailers, trucks or vans etc. not used in the course of daily activities must be parked within this allocated area. Policy Justification 5.4.10 In order to ensure that new accommodation is delivered appropriately, a site design policy is considered to be essential. This is especially important given the high number of pitches which are required to be provided in the plan period. 5.4.11 Everyone should have the opportunity of a safe and comfortable home it is therefore important that new traveller accommodation is designed to a high standard to ensure that they have can be successfully assimilated into the local environment and deliver safe and secure homes that will have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of future occupants. 5.4.12 Whilst there is no single, appropriate design for sites the considerations set out in the policy above are important factors that will help to shape the delivery of safe and accessible Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites. With regards to the design of Travelling Showpeople sites reference to the Showmen’s Gu