Issue - meetings

To receive and consider report 98/08 of the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy). 

Introduction and Report Summary

The South East Regional Assembly (SEERA) is undertaking a partial review of the South East Plan relating to the provision of sites for gypsies and travellers in the south east. The first stage was an opportunity for councils to submit their advice on the expected numbers and distribution of sites in their areas. In Oxfordshire a steering group of Councillors representing the County Council and the five District Councils worked with the support of an officer working group to provide a response. The work involved consultation with stakeholders, a recalculation of the expected need as set out in the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) prepared by the Association of Councils of the Thames Valley Region (ACTVaR) and an alternative disaggregation of the County figure down to District level. The recalculated need for the County to 2016 is 42 pitches in comparison to the original GTAA figure of 98 to 2016. The response of this Council was agreed at a meeting of the Executive on 5^th October 2007.

SEERA is now undertaking consultation on four options for pitch provision for long term occupation, transit spaces and travelling showpeople. The closing date for responses is 21 November 2008. A public consultation event will be taking place in Oxfordshire. Following consultation SEERA will submit a draft Partial Review document and Sustainability Appraisal to Government in April 2009 and then an Examination will follow with adoption expected in 2010. 

The Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group met on 6 October 2008 and agreed with the recommendations set out below. 

The Contact Officer for this report is Peter Williams, Principal Planning Officer, (01235 520202 ext 502)

Recommendations

That the Council:

(a)       supports the suggested overall provision of 42 gypsy and traveller pitches in Oxfordshire and provision for the Vale of either 1 pitch under option A;

(b)       opposes the redistribution of gypsy and traveller pitches across the region under options B, C and D as being arbitrary, not supported by evidence and unsustainable;

(c)        supports the consultation’s transit site provision for Oxfordshire and requests SEERA to clarify the basis for the local distribution of sites and how the provision relates to the translation of transit provision into new sites in the GTAA;

(d)       supports the overall provision of 7 travelling showpeople plots across Oxfordshire and the distributions under options A and B with a preference for A;

(e)       opposes the redistribution of travelling showpeople plots across the region under options C and D as being arbitrary, not supported by evidence and unsustainable; and

(f)         requests SEERA to closely examine the information presented by the Guild of Travelling Showmen to support the provision for 42 homeless families and take into account their needs in the distribution of provision. 

(Time: 3.40pm to 3.42pm)

The Executive received and considered report 98/08 of the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy).  The South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) was undertaking a partial review of the South East Plan on the provision of sites for gypsies and travellers.  Councils were asked to submit their advice on the expected numbers and distribution of sites in their areas.  In Oxfordshire a county-wide steering group had recalculated the need for the county to 2016 which was 42 pitches.  The response of this Council had been agreed at a meeting of the Executive on 5 October 2007. 

SEERA was now undertaking consultation on four options for pitch provision for long term occupation, transit spaces and travelling showpeople. The Strategic and Local Planning Advisory Group had met on 6 October 2008 to consider these options and made recommendations that were set out in the report. 

The Executive concluded that, as the Council had made provision in the past to fully meet the requirement for gypsy sites and meet ‘designation’, it should not accept more than its share as there was no justified need to do so.  Therefore, Members expressed a preference for option A rather than the remaining options which made provision for more sites than necessary. 

RESOLVED

(a)       that the suggested overall provision of 42 gypsy and traveller pitches in Oxfordshire and provision for the Vale of 1 pitch under option A be supported;

(b)       that the redistribution of gypsy and traveller pitches across the region under option B be opposed and the partial redistribution in options C and D be opposed as being arbitrary, not supported by evidence and unsustainable;

(c)        that the consultation’s transit site provision for Oxfordshire be supported and that SEERA be requested to clarify the basis for the local distribution of sites and how the provision relates to the translation of transit provision into new sites in the Gypsy Traveller Accommodation Assessment;

(d)       that the overall provision of seven travelling showpeople plots across Oxfordshire and the distributions under options A and B be supported, with a preference for A;

(e)       that the redistribution of travelling showpeople plots across the region under options C and D be opposed as being arbitrary, not supported by evidence and unsustainable; and

(f)         that SEERA be requested to closely examine the information presented by the Guild of Travelling Showmen to support the provision for 42 homeless families and take into account their needs in the distribution of provision.