Winchester District: Traveller Plan

Overview

Local Authorities are required by Central Government to assess the accommodation requirements of Gypsies and Travellers and to develop a strategy that addresses any unmet need identified. The Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document (Traveller DPD) will form part of the Winchester District Development Plan and will identify, safeguard and allocate sites for traveller needs, it will also respond to and implement the local planning policies already established in adopted Local Plans, particularly:

• Policy CP5 – Sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople – Local Plan Part 1 adopted March 2013. 
• Policy DM4 - Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpersons – Local Plan Part 2 adopted April 2017.

Definitions

Gypsy and Travellers - Persons of nomadic habit of life whatever their race or origin, including such persons who on grounds only of their own or their family's or dependants' educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily, but excluding members of an organised group of travelling showpeople or circus people travelling together as such.

Travelling Showpeople - Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family's or dependant's more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers as defined above.

Gypsy and traveller pitch - residential pitch for a gypsy family typically accommodatiing a mobile home and space for a touring caravan and can sometimes include a 'day room'.

Travelling showpersons plot - mixed use plot which typically includes living accommodation and space for the storage and maintenance of equipment, sometimes called a 'yard'.

Why your views matter

The City Council is seeking comments on its draft planning strategy for Travellers within the District, following the completion of technical reports and an initial consultation held earlier in the year. The strategy takes a positive approach to meeting the needs set out in Policy DM4 of Local Plan Part 2 adopted in April.

What happens next

Following the close of the consultation the Council will report the comments back to its Cabinet Committee and make any necessary amendments to the draft document, prior to progressing to the next stage in the local plan process. Further consultation will take place at that time before the Council finalises the document to submit to the Planning Inspectorate for examination in 2018.