Talk to Central Bedfordshire

FAQs & Glossary

We appreciate that you may have questions about the Gypsy and Traveller Development Plan Document (DPD). We have tried our best to answer as many as possible of these below.

Click here to view the Glossary

Production of, and consultation on the Gypsy and Traveller Development Plan Document

What is a Gypsy and Traveller Development Plan Document?
What is the Local Development Framework (LDF) and how does it relate to the provision of Gypsy and Traveller sites?
How will consultation processes be publicised?

Potential for sites in Central Bedfordshire North

Why another Preferred Sites Consultation?
Why do we have to have more sites in Central Bedfordshire North?
How many sites are proposed?
What exactly is a pitch?
How will sites be managed?
When will these sites be in use?
Who owns the preferred shortlisted sites?
Will the Council be able to compulsory purchase land for a Gypsy and Traveller site?
How were sites identified?
What is a sustainability appraisal?
What Government Guidance applies to the allocation of sites for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople?

Gypsies and Travellers and their sites

Who are Gypsies and Travellers?
What is a residential site?
What is a transit site?
What is unauthorised development?
What is an unauthorised encampment?
How many local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites are there in Bedfordshire?

Potential Impacts of an Additional Gypsy Site

What consideration will you give to the local infrastructure?
Are there any issues that schools need to be particularly aware of?
What about the traffic impact?
I live close to one of these identified areas. Might this not have an impact on the value of my property or my ability to sell?

Production of, and consultation on the Gypsy and Traveller
Development Plan Document

What is a Gypsy and Traveller Development Plan Document?
The Gypsy and Traveller Development Plan Document will identify sites for Gypsy and Traveller, Travelling Showpeople and transit site accommodation in the north area of Central Bedfordshire (previously referred to as Mid Bedfordshire). In addition, the document will include planning policies against which Gypsy and Traveller associated development will be determined.

What is the Local Development Framework(LDF) and how does it relate to the provision of Gypsy and Traveller sites?
The LDF is a set of documents which contain the Council’s planning policies, site allocations and spatial vision. It is similar to the old Local Plan. In Central Bedfordshire there are currently two LDFs being prepared. One in Central Bedfordshire North, for which this consultation relates, and another for Central Bedfordshire South which is being prepared jointly with Luton Council.

The Central Bedfordshire North LDF will include a Gypsy and Traveller Development Plan Document (DPD) in the Council will allocate land for Gypsy and Traveller, Travelling Showpeople and transit pitches.

How will consultation processes be publicised?
Notices will be put in local newspapers and the Council will include information in its regular magazine, News Central. Furthermore, Parish Councils will be kept informed and letters sent to any person who commented on previous stages of this DPD production.

The dedicated consultation website www.talktocentralbedfordshire.co.uk contains information about each site and you can submit your views on particular sites electronically.

Potential for sites in Central Bedfordshire North

Why another Preferred Sites Consultation?
The purpose of this new site search and review is to fulfil our increased requirement to accommodate Gypsy and Traveller pitches in accordance with Policy H3 of the East of England Plan to 2016. In Central Bedfordshire North, this equates to 40 Gypsy and Traveller pitches, a transit site and a Travelling Showpeople site.

Why do we have to have more sites in Central Bedfordshire North?
Just as Central Bedfordshire needs additional housing to accommodate the growth in its settled population, additional Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites are necessary to accommodate natural population growth in these communities. Compared to the 14230 additional houses that need to be developed for the settled community between 2001 and 2021, the 40 Gypsy and Traveller pitches represent a very small proportion of development. The Core Strategy plans for the delivery of 14230 new homes between 2001 and 2021, in Central Bedfordshire North.

The sites being consulted on are necessary to accommodate existing Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople communities, and not to attract new families to the area. In some instances, development would also help to alleviate problems with overcrowding on existing sites. Furthermore, the allocation of sufficient sites should reduce the need for Gypsies and Travellers to establish unauthorised encampments and developments, leading to monetary savings for the Council in terms of enforcement action and better opportunities for integration between Gypsies and Travellers and the settled community.

How many sites are proposed?

Site Ref Number	Site Address	Parish	Suggested Pitch Numbers
Permanent Sites
1	1 Old Acres, Barton Road, Pulloxhill	Pulloxhill	8
2	Hermitage Lane, off Westoning Road, Greenfield	Flitton & Greenfield	2
3	Land rear of 197 Hitchin Road, Arlesey	Arlesey	10
4	Oak Tree Nursery & Magpie Farm, Upper Caldecote	Northill	7
5	Land between Common Road and Myers Road, Potton	Potton	0
6	Land South of Dunton Lane, Biggleswade	Biggleswade	13
7	Land East of Hitchin Road, Henlow	Henlow	10
Transit Site
8	Sutton Storage Compound, Sutton Road, South of Sutton	Sutton	2

What exactly is a pitch?
A pitch is the space required to accommodate one household and their caravans, parking space and enough room for turning of vehicles. A study by the East of England Regional Assembly found that the average household size for Gypsies across the region was 1.7 caravans. However, this will vary from area to area and according to family need. There is no one-size-fits-all measurement of a pitch as, in the case of the settled community, this depends on the size of individual families and their particular needs.

Guidance form the Department of Communities and Local Government (Designing Gypsy and Traveller Sites Good Practice Guide (2008)), states that as a general guide, it is possible to specify that an average family pitch must be capable of accommodating an amenity building, a large trailer and touring caravan, (or two caravans) drying space for clothes/a small garden area, a lockable shed (for bicycles, wheelchair storage etc) and parking space for two vehicles.

Smaller pitches must be able to accommodate at least an amenity building, a large trailer, drying space for clothes and parking for at least one vehicle.

How will sites be managed?
Where sites are properly managed they can be self-financing and sustainable, which will assist the Gypsy and Traveller communities to co-exist peacefully with the settled population. Existing sites within Central Bedfordshire are currently privately managed or managed by the Council.

There are a number of management options to consider for future sites. The results of the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment identified a preference for Gypsy and Traveller families to be enabled to develop and manage their own sites. Strong social, as well as practical reasons, exist for enabling families to develop and manage their own sites. Family ownership can help to reduce the breakdown of traditional family structures and help ensure young people and new forming households within the community are not forced to move away.

An alternative method of managing sites is to allow private developers/Housing Associations to make provision for the basic infrastructure required before selling or renting the individual pitches to Gypsies and Travellers.

Finally, the local authority develops the site and leases the pitches. In this case, 100% funding is available from the Government to pay for the site.

Guidance in the DCLG document Draft Guidance on the Management of Gypsy and Traveller Sites (May 2007), acknowledges that the local authorities, Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and the residents who will reside on sites, are all stakeholders in the site management process. The guidance does not recommend limiting site management to one stakeholder only.

When will these sites be in use?
A number of the sites or part of the proposed sites are already occupied by members of the local Gypsy and Traveller community. Where this is the case their occupation will continue.

Who owns the preferred shortlisted sites?
The sites being considered are on a mixture of privately owned and Council owned land.

Will the Council be able to compulsory purchase land for a Gypsy and Traveller site?
The Council does have compulsory purchase powers to bring land forward to meet identified development needs. This is something that the Council would prefer not to use.

How were sites identified?
On 1 September 2009, Members of the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed a set of criteria and scoring system against which new and previously considered sites would be considered. These criteria have been applied to a number of sire options.

In looking at the site options for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation, the following matters were considered.

The Sequential Test, as agreed by Mid Bedfordshire LDF Task Force in December 2007, and in accordance with government guidance;
Government guidance in Circular 01/2006 and other related guidance documents; and
Technical planning constraints.

What is a sustainability appraisal?
All sites have been subject to a Sustainability Appraisal.

A Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is a process which examines the social, environmental and economic effects of the strategies and policies in a local development document to ensure that the decisions that are made are in accordance with sustainable development. An SA incorporates the requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (EU Directive 2001/42/EC), which ensures that environmental effects of strategies and policies are also carefully assessed.

It is recognised that the provision of sites will lead to health and education benefits for the Travelling Community and will reduce the number of unauthorised sites that have adverse environmental impacts, health and anti-social behaviour issues and a lack of permanence that increases the amount of travelling thus increasing vehicle emissions.

What Government Guidance applies to the allocation of sites for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople?
Considered in the preparation of the Gypsy and Travellers DPD is the guidance set out in Circular 01/2006: ‘Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites’ The circular states that in deciding where to provide for Gypsy and Traveller sites, local planning authorities should first consider locations in or near existing settlements with access to local services, e.g. shops, doctors and schools. As set out above all sites considered must have their social, environmental and economic impacts assessed in accordance with the requirements of the Sustainability Appraisal.

Whether public or private, sites should be identified with regard to highway considerations. In setting their policies local planning authorities are advised by the Circular to have regard to the potential for noise and other disturbance and movement from the site, the stationing of vehicles on the site, and on-site business activities. However, projected vehicle movements for Gypsy and Traveller sites should be assessed on an individual basis for each site. Proposals should not be rejected if they would only give rise to modest additional daily vehicle moments and/or the impact on minor roads would not be significant.

In August 2007, the Department for Communities and Local Government published Circular 04/2007: ‘Planning for Travelling Showpeople’. A separate circular on the needs of Travelling Showpeople was considered necessary to best meet their needs as they do not share the same cultures or traditions as Gypsies and Travellers.

Gypsies and Travellers and their sites

Who are Gypsies and Travellers?
There are a number of Gypsy and Traveller communities, and each have different histories and traditions:

Gypsies are Romany ethnic groups who have lived in Britain for around 600 years. Their ancestors originate from northern India.
Irish Travellers are a nomadic group with a distinctive way of life who have been part of Irish and British society since ancient times.
New Travellers are people of settled background who adopted a travelling lifestyle in the more recent past, although some are now in their third or fourth generation of travelling.
Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are defined as minority ethnic groups under the Race Relations Act (1976).

What is a residential site?
Also referred to as permanent sites, residential sites are either provided by local authorities/Registered Social Landlords (public) or are owned by Gypsies and Travellers themselves (private). The sites are used as a long-term residence by Gypsies and Travellers. The residential sites are managed by the local authority or the owners themselves, and have a number of amenities, such as, water supply, electricity, individual toilets and utility rooms. Residents of these sites are subject to rent, council tax and utility charges.

What is a transit site?
Transit sites are authorised sites which are used for short stays by Gypsies and Travellers. These sites are provided on a permanent basis by local authorities and have basic amenities and services which include water supply, shared toilets, washing facilities/utility room, and waste disposal. All transit sites are managed and are subject to rent and Council tax. In some cases transit pitches are provided on existing residential sites, as opposed to sites solely for transit provision..

What is unauthorised development?
This is land that is owned by Gypsies and Travellers but which does not have planning permission from the local authority for use as a residential or transit site.

What is an unauthorised encampment?
This is land which is not owned by Gypsies and Travellers and is being used without the permission of the owner.

How many local authority Gypsy and Traveller sites are there in Bedfordshire?
There are currently 4 local authority run permanent residential Gypsy and Traveller caravan sites in Bedfordshire, one of which is in Central Bedfordshire North, at Potton.

The Council is required by Government to report the levels of unauthorised encampments and developments in the area bi-annually. These figures can be viewed on the DCLG website.

Potential Impacts of an Additional Gypsy Site

What consideration will you give to the local infrastructure?
Consideration would always be given to access to services such as schools. However, it must be recognised that compared to the 14,000 additional houses which the Council is likely to have to provide, 40 pitches for Gypsies and Travellers are unlikely to place much strain on the local infrastructure. In identifying possible sites, the Government advises that “local planning authorities should first consider locations in or near existing settlements with access to local services e.g. shops, doctors and schools.”

Are there any issues that schools need to be particularly aware of?
There is a Traveller Education Service within Central Bedfordshire Council which can advise and support schools on any issues that may arise.

What about the traffic impact?
In assessing any potential site the Council will consider the impact of any additional traffic generated on the local highway network and will ensure that access into and out of the site meets the requirements of the Highway Authority.

I live close to one of these identified areas. Might this not have an impact on the value of my property or my ability to sell?
Information on planning blight is contained within the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Website Link.

GLOSSARY

BME	Black and Minority Ethnic
Bricks and Mortar	Permanent mainstream housing.
Caravans	Mobile living vehicles/trailers used by Gypsy and Travellers.
CRE	Commission for Racial Equality(now the Equalities and Human Rights Commission).
DCLG	Department of Communities and Local Government
Development Plan Document(DPD)	Those documents contained within the LDF that are part of the statutory development plan. They are subject to Independent examination by the Planning Inspectorate.
East of England Plan	A statutory planning document, setting out a strategy to guide planning and development in the East of England to the year 2021. This forms the statutory development plan for Mid Bedfordshire, in conjunction with the LDF.
Emergency Stopping Place	An area of land identified for use by Gypsy & Travellers in transit.
Gypsy	Members of Gypsy and Traveller communities. Usually described Romany (English) Gypsies from India. The term is not acceptable to all Travellers.
Household	One person living alone, or a group of people (not necessarily related) living at the same address with common housekeeping – that is, they normally share at least one meal per day and the housekeeping costs. Any students or school children that normally live there should be included as part of the household, even if they are currently away at school, college or university.
Infrastructure	This is a term which includes all the built facilities that we need to live our lives such as schools, roads, drainage, electricity supplies etc. The term ‘services’ is used to cover some of these facilities.
Mobile Home	Legally a ‘caravan’, but not usually capable of being moved by towing.
ODPM	Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now the Department of Communities and Local Government)
Pitch	An area of land where a Gypsy and Traveller household can reside; typically this may contain an amenity building, parking space and one or more caravans. In the Eastern Region the average pitch accommodates 1.7 caravans.
Planning Policy Statement	Issued by Government to set out its national land use policies for England on different areas of planning.
Plot	A piece of land rented under license to a household; this may include a single or double “pitch” on which to accommodate a trailer / mobile home
Registered Social Landlord (RSL)	A housing association or a not for profit company registered by the Housing Corporation to provide social housing.
Romany Gypsy	Travellers mainly from Eastern Europe.
Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)	See East of England Plan (above).
Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)	This sets out the standards for community Involvement for all LDF documents and planning applications. It may be subject to an independent Examination.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)	A process of systematically appraising the environmental opportunities and constraints of a project, and identifying and managing its implications. SEA is a statutory requirement of certain plans and programmes, under the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004.
Section 106	A voluntary legal agreement between the Local Planning Authority and developer, tied to a planning permission, which covers matters outside the scope of normal planning conditions.
Settled Community	Reference to non Travellers (those who live in houses).
Site	An area of land laid out and used for Gypsy and Traveller caravans. An authorised site will have planning permission (and a site license if privately owned) for use as a Gypsy caravan site.
Sustainability	This is a term which has come to mean using resources in a manner which will conserve those resources for future generations whilst leading to a pleasant and safe environment.
Sustainability Appraisal (SA)	A Sustainability Appraisal evaluates the social, economic and environmental impacts of policies and strategies in a Local Development Document to ensure that the policies and strategies are in accordance with Sustainable Development objectives.
Transit Site	A Gypsy & Traveller site intended for short-term use by Gypsy and Travellers in transit. The site is normally permanent, while its residents are temporary and a maximum period of stay is usually imposed.
Traveller	A member of the travelling community. Often used to refer to Irish Travellers. This term is generally acceptable to all Gypsy and Travellers.
Travelling Showpeople	Travelling people who work in the circus / fairs.
Unauthorised Development	This refers to land owned by Gypsy and Travellers without planning permission.
Unauthorised Encampment	An area where Gypsies and Travellers reside in vehicles or tents without permission of the land owner. Unauthorised encampments can occur in a wide variety of locations (e.g. at the side of the road).

If you have any queries, would like any more information or would like to provide your views by post please call the LDF Team on 0300 300 8000.

Or email ldf@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk