Gypsy & Traveller sites

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the engagement carried out so far. An Attitudes Survey ran in 2021 to 2022 to gather views on key issues facing the county. Consultation on the draft vision and objectives followed in 2023. Five Call for Sites exercises took place between 2021 and 2025, including for brownfield land and gypsy and traveller pitches. The draft Local Plan was consulted on in 2025, and a sites engagement exercise with landowners, infrastructure providers and local councils ran in spring 2026.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section calculates how much development South Warwickshire needs. For employment, 321.1 hectares of non-strategic land and 225 hectares of strategic land are needed; after existing commitments, 233.7 and 125 hectares remain to be found. The Government's standard method sets housing need at 2,197 homes a year, or 54,925 over the 25-year plan period from 2025 to 2050, with 44,980 still to find after commitments. The plan must also provide 129 Gypsy and Traveller pitches and 20 Travelling Showpeople plots.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out Objective 3, on new housing. It aims to meet housing needs for all groups, including affordable, accessible and specialist homes, key worker housing and self-build opportunities. The national standard method calculates a need of 4,344 new homes a year, about 91,230 homes over the plan period. The Plan must also meet an identified need of 681 pitches for Gypsies and Travellers and 38 plots for Travelling Showpeople.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the full policy and justification for meeting development needs to 2050. Provision is made for a minimum of 54,925 homes between 2025 and 2050, with a total identified supply of 57,610, a headroom of about 4.9%. It also provides 129 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, 20 Travelling Showpeople plots and 35 boat dweller moorings. Each district will maintain its own five-year housing land supply, based on 1,112 homes a year in Stratford-on-Avon and 1,085 in Warwick, with detailed year-by-year delivery trajectories for every allocated site.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains the purpose of the policy on travelling communities' accommodation. It aims to ensure the needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople are planned for positively and delivered in line with national policy. It provides a framework for identifying, allocating and safeguarding sites, while promoting sustainable, accessible and well-designed development that supports equality, inclusion and community wellbeing.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy provides for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation. The identified need over the plan period is 681 pitches and 38 plots, of which 516 pitches and 30 plots are needed in the first 10 years. The Council will allocate 280 pitches and 14 plots towards this, through a mix of new sites and the intensification or expansion of existing sites, with further pitches on NESS sites in later years. Existing lawful sites are safeguarded, and delivery will be monitored with more sites identified if needed.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section contains the full Policy DS.4 and its justification. Every New Settlement and Strategic Growth Location must agree a masterplan with the council before any planning application, deliver roads, schools, healthcare and utilities early with clear trigger points, and secure developer contributions through legal agreements. Sites must create walkable 20-minute neighbourhoods, provide affordable housing and deliver Gypsy and Traveller pitches before a set share of market homes are occupied. New settlements will deliver at least 4,000 homes, and delivery will be overseen by boards, site delivery officers and community champions, with long-term stewardship of community assets.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section introduces the plan's policies for Gypsies, Travellers, Travelling Showpeople and boat dwellers. These communities have specific accommodation needs, which South Warwickshire is required to assess and meet. The plan states that meeting this need is as important as every other housing need in the area, and the councils must also consider people living on boats on inland waterways.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy protects existing accommodation used by the travelling community. Permanent and lawful Gypsy and Traveller pitches, Travelling Showpeople plots and residential moorings are safeguarded from other forms of development. Loss will only be allowed where a satisfactory, equivalent replacement is provided and ready before the existing site is vacated, or where robust evidence shows the facility is no longer needed or no longer suitable for that use.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains why existing traveller accommodation is safeguarded. Protecting lawful pitches, plots and moorings prevents losses to other uses, helps maintain a proper supply of accommodation and gives households confidence that their right to remain on sites is protected. Anyone proposing to redevelop such a site must show there is no longer a need for that type of accommodation in the plan area, or that the site is no longer suitable for the use.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section explains how the criteria for new traveller sites will be applied. Because few sites will meet every criterion, a best-fit approach will be used. Private sites should have no more than 15 pitches, though larger public sites may be acceptable where good management is shown. The councils will explore a negotiated stopping approach to unauthorised encampments, likely alongside other Warwickshire authorities, and an 8-bay transit site with a Traveller support hub is planned at Harbury Lane. It also notes that Travelling Showpeople traditionally live and store their equipment on the same yard.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets criteria for new Gypsy and Traveller pitches and Travelling Showpeople plots. Sites must avoid significant harm to heritage, ecology and landscape designations, be a reasonable distance from schools, GP surgeries, shops and community facilities, and not be visually intrusive. Private sites are limited to a maximum of 15 pitches. Sites also need safe road access with turning and parking space, plus adequate water, electricity, drainage and waste services. Any permission will include conditions limiting pitch numbers and restricting occupancy to the travelling community.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets design standards for new Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites. Sites must have proper water, power, sewerage, drainage and waste services, good landscaping with natural boundary treatments rather than imposing metal fencing, efficient use of land without overcrowding, and layouts that support health, privacy and children's play. Each pitch must measure at least 500 square metres and include hard standing for a touring and a static caravan, two parking spaces, an amenity building, storage space and a garden area.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This section sets out the reasoning behind the design standards for traveller sites. Applications must include a layout plan showing the site can accommodate the pitches or plots proposed. Shared family sites may have a communal amenity building to help combat loneliness, while multi-family sites need individual buildings. Travelling Showpeople yards must keep living areas separate from equipment storage and maintenance areas. High design standards are considered essential given the number of pitches needed, so that new homes are safe, well integrated and support residents' health and wellbeing.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports self-build and custom-build housing through several routes. On large developments of 500 or more homes, 2% of dwellings must be provided as serviced self-build plots unless the councils' register shows lower demand, with plots offered at a range of costs, sizes and types and an average density of 25 homes per hectare. Standalone schemes are also supported within settlement boundaries, on suitable sites next to larger settlements outside the Green Belt or Cotswolds National Landscape, or adjoining settlements where a local community need is evidenced.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy supports self-build and custom housebuilding, where people commission or build their own homes. On sites of 50 or more dwellings, at least 5% of market homes must be provided as serviced plots for self or custom build, unless robust evidence shows a lower share is needed for viability. Plots must be marketed for at least 24 months; if unsold they should be offered to the Council or a Registered Provider before the developer can build them out as market housing. Each plot needs a plot passport setting out its key design rules.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets criteria for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation, in line with the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment. Sites must be well designed with enough space for caravans, day rooms and landscaping, have safe access to services such as shops, schools and healthcare, and respect the size of the nearest settled community without dominating it. They must avoid flood risk and harm to the environment, and be serviceable with water, utilities and sewerage. For Travelling Showpeople, the need for mixed-use yards and storage space will also be considered.

The human version (we wrote this, not the council)This policy sets out when development is acceptable in countryside that lies outside the Green Belt. Supported categories include agriculture and forestry, outdoor sport, buildings for existing rural businesses, development within settlement built-up areas, rural exception housing, sites for Gypsies and Travellers, homes for rural workers, extensions, conversions of existing buildings and redevelopment of previously developed land. It also supports improvements to the Grand Union Canal network. The policy guides windfall sites (sites not specifically allocated in the plan) towards existing settlements as the most sustainable locations.