Issue - items at meetings - Response to the Government Consultation on Proposed Replacement Planning Policy Statement: Planning for Traveller Sites

Report of the Strategic Director, Place (copy attached).

2.1             That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Employment, Economy & Regeneration approves and endorses the council’s response to the Government’s consultation on Proposed Replacement Planning Guidance ‘Planning for Traveller Sites’ (see Appendix A).

55.1               The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Strategic Director, Place concerning the council’s response to the Government consultation to replace current national planning policy guidance for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople with a new Planning Policy Statement (PPS).

55.2               The Cabinet Member advised that, in principle, she welcomed a single PPS for Traveller sites and noted that, in due course, it would be incorporated into the NPPF with all other national planning guidance.   She was supportive of the key policy objective set out in the consultation guidance, which was the fair and effective provision of authorised sites for Gypsies and Travellers - to facilitate their way of life whilst respecting the interests of the settled community. She also agreed that ‘a robust ‘evidence base’ was essential to the assessment of the need for sites and stated that the guidance should therefore clarify, through best practice guidance, what was meant by ‘robust’ so that all Local Authorities (LAs) undertook realistic and comparable assessments. She welcomed the fact that LAs would be able to set their own targets for site provision and stated that it was important for such targets to be realistic and deliverable.

55.3               Councillor Morgan agreed that realistic and comparable assessment were important, particularly if the Government removed the requirement for LAs to provide sites. He asked how far the LAs were compelled to provide sites.

55.4               The Head of Planning Strategy explained that the council was still required to work under the existing legislation, which meant that provision was to be determined jointly with adjoining LAs. Under the new guidance, LAs would have to agree on the evidence base, which could prove challenging as there was no consistency across the relevant LAs.

55.5               Councillor C Theobald welcomed the proposed PPS and advised that the Conservative Group had submitted its own response to the consultation. She stated that provision of a permanent site would make it easier to move people on from unauthorised encampments and that it was important to treat all people equally in terms of accommodation and not be seen to be prioritising the needs of gypsies and travellers.

55.6               The Cabinet Member urged Members to encourage community cohesion and avoid making comments that could be construed as discriminatory.

55.7               RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the following recommendations be accepted:

(1)         That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Employment, Economy & Regeneration approves and endorses the council’s response to the Government’s consultation on Proposed Replacement Planning Guidance ‘Planning for Traveller Sites’ (see Appendix A).