Decision details

The Cabinet had before it a report * from the Director of Place and Economy on the Mid Devon Gypsy and Traveller accommodation assessment report.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration outlined the contents of the report with particular reference to the following:

• The number of pitches that were needed to provide permanent new homes for gypsies and travellers and plots to provide permanent new homes for travelling showpeople in the period 2023 to 2045.
• The interim targets were needed for development management purposes and would provide the basis for 5 year supply calculations. Those targets would also be included in the new local plan for the Council.
• The National Planning Policy required the Council to undertake an assessment of the housing needs for different groups in the community. This included the housing needs of gypsies, travellers and travelling showpeople.
• The assessment of the housing need provided technical information that could be used to help inform the preparation of the development plans and other plans, programmes and strategies, and also the determination of planning applications.
• A new Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment for Mid Devon had been undertaken by consultants “Opinion Research Services” and the final report was completed in September 2024. Similar studies had also been completed for Teignbridge District Council, Exeter City Council and East Devon District Council. The assessment replaced the previous assessment that was completed in 2015 and the findings of that study.
• The interim targets included the provision for: households that met the national planning definitions for gypsies, travellers and travelling showpeople; Households whose status was ‘undetermined’ (those who were unable to be interviewed), and also households that had not currently met the national planning definitions.
• This approach ensured that all the identified housing needs of the travelling community in Mid Devon were taken into consideration and would be planned for. It would provide headroom to mitigate where sites with planning permission may not come forward. Crucially, it would help ensure the Council met the duties of the Equalities Act 2010 and Housing Acts of 1985 and 2016.
• The assessment provided a forecast of housing needs based on travelling households who were residing on established sites in Mid Devon at the time of the survey. The household interviews undertaken for the assessment had identified no households living in other local authorities with a need to move to a site in Mid Devon.
• The Cabinet would note that the assessment had been unable to recommend targets for transit sites. This was due to the absence of detailed and consistent data that would be required through the monitoring of encampments across local authority areas. Officers would be investigating with colleagues from other local planning authorities on how to move forward.
• The recommendations included in the report had been considered and endorsed by the Planning Policy Advisory Group.

Discussion took place regarding:

• The Gypsy Traveller Accommodation Assessment had not been able to make recommendations about the need for the provision of transit sites in Mid Devon and the working progress of this.
• When visitors came to transit sites they would bring their own accommodation for a short time.
• More data in regards to transit sites to be provided at a later stage.

RESOLVED that:

1. The contents of this report and the Mid Devon Gypsy and Traveller

Accommodation Assessment (Appendix 2) be NOTED.

2. The recommended interim targets included in Table 1 and Table 2 of this report to help guide decisions taken on planning applications for pitches to provide homes for gypsies and travellers and plots to provide homes for travelling showpeople be APPROVED.

(Proposed by Cllr S Keable and seconded by Cllr G DuChesne)

Reason for decision: As stated in the report

Note: * Report previously circulated.