Decision details

Consultation on the preferred site options for the identification of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople in Bath & North East Somerset

1) To NOTE that an Issues and Options consultation was carried out between 21 November 2011 and 16 January 2012 during which the broad site assessment criteria were consulted on and a Call for Sites conducted. The response to that consultation is set out in the Consultation Statement (Appendix 3) and formed the basis for the technical site assessment (Appendix 2);

(2) To NOTE that the list of preferred sites in the report was derived from the longer list of sites considered in the technical assessment (Appendix 2);

(3) To AGREE that the Preferred Options document (Appendix 1), which includes the list of preferred sites in para. 5.8, is taken forward for public consultation;

(4) To AGREE that the public consultation on the preferred sites is undertaken over an extended period of 8 weeks to run from mid-May 2012 to maximise the period over which comments can be submitted;

(5) To NOTE that an initial report on the Preferred Options public consultation will be made to Cabinet in September 2012, which may include an assessment of additional sites coming forward;

(6) To NOTE that the list of preferred sites will be reviewed in light of the public consultation and as part of the preparation of the draft Plan which is due to be considered by Cabinet in December 2012 for formal public consultation;

(7) To AGREE that only new sites will be considered for inclusion  and not those already rejected through the initial site assessment;

(8) To NOTE that the Council will seek to review and update the 2007 needs assessment in liaison with the West of England partner authorities;

(9) To DELEGATE authority to the Divisional Director of Planning & Transport, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning, to make minor textual amendments prior to publication of the Preferred Options document; and

(10) To NOTE as an erratum to paragraph 5.8 of the report that the site at Camerton is deleted from the list and that it could accommodate only 8 not 9 pitches.

The recommended actions are a key part of the Council’s Local Development Scheme and the commitments agreed through the Draft Core Strategy. The preferred sites will meet the need identified for the District.

The Council is not obliged to prepare a Site Allocations DPD on this subject but instead could chose to respond to planning applications on an ad hoc, piecemeal basis. This option has been rejected because this would remove the Council’s ability to direct development to the most appropriate, sustainable locations and also would leave the accommodation needs of the travelling communities unmet and would continue the uncertainty for local communities.

The Council could choose to take forward only those sites located outside the Green Belt. This option has been rejected as, in the event that relatively more suitable sites outside the Green Belt cannot be delivered, those sites within the Green Belt may be deliverable and should be considered further through public consultation.