Vale of Glamorgan Local Development Plan 2011 - 2026 Contents Page 1. Introduction 2 2. Background 2 3. Site Assessment 5 4. Site and Pitch Size Requirements 5 5. Methodology 6 6. Local Development Plan Candidate Sites 7 7. Assessments 7 8. Deliverability 8 9. Conclusions 8 10. Recommendations 10 Appendices Appendix 1 – Site Assessments 12 Gypsy and Traveller Site Assessment Background Paper 1 Vale of Glamorgan Local Development Plan 2011 - 2026 1. Introduction 1.1 This topic paper is one of a series prepared by the Vale of Glamorgan Council as part of the evidence base used to inform the production of policies and site allocations for the Deposit Local Development Plan (LDP). Each topic paper can be read in isolation or together with other topic papers to gain a wider understanding of the issues facing the Vale of Glamorgan. 1.2 The topic paper considers the Council’s responsibilities for Gypsies and Travellers in relation to national and regional planning policy and provides further detail for the justification of any site allocations contained within the Deposit LDP. 2. Background 2.1 Section 87 of the Local Government Act 2003 requires local authorities to produce Local Housing Strategies (LHS) that set out the key issues facing housing provision within a local authority area. The LHS outlines opportunities, constraints, problems and priorities and how these will be addressed. LHS must consider the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers in order to comply with the statutory requirement imposed by section 225 of the Housing Act 2004. 2.2 Planning Policy Wales Edition 4 (February 2011) (PPW) sets out the land use planning policies of the Welsh Government (WG) and directs that local authorities are required to assess the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers and states that it is important that policies for the provision of Gypsy sites are included in local development plans. 2.3 PPW previously included a requirement for local authority planning and housing functions to combine in partnership with local stakeholders, including private house builders, to undertake a Local Housing Market Assessment (LHMA) to develop an understanding of the nature and level of housing demand and need in their local housing markets, which should be used to inform the LHS. 2.4 The guidance produced by the WG on undertaking LHMA advises local authorities to carry out the study over Housing Market Areas. The Vale of Glamorgan is deemed to be part of the broader Cardiff Housing Market Area ('the area where the majority of households living or seeking to move in the private sector are willing to search for alternative accommodation') and it was therefore considered appropriate to undertake a joint LHMA with Cardiff Council. A copy of the full LHMA report for the Vale of Glamorgan is available on the Vale of Glamorgan Councils website at: http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/living/planning/planning_policy/local_development_ plan/dps_isa.aspx 2.5 For minority or hard to reach groups such as Gypsies and Travellers, the WG guidance suggests that additional assessments could usefully be undertaken to fully understand Gypsy and Traveller Site Assessment Background Paper 2 Vale of Glamorgan Local Development Plan 2011 - 2026 their housing needs and it is strongly recommended that local authorities work in partnership with neighbouring authorities as travelling patterns are liable to cross local authority boundaries. 2.6 Against this policy background, Fordham Research were commissioned by officers of the Vale of Glamorgan Council's Housing and Planning Departments in partnership with their respective officers in Cardiff Council in October 2007 to undertake a LHMA to include a Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (G&TAA) with the aim of quantifying the accommodation and housing related support needs of Gypsies and Travellers in terms of residential and transit sites and bricks and mortar accommodation. Although a joint assessment was undertaken, the accommodation needs for each authority were assessed separately using the methodology set by the WG. 2.7 The research considered a range of Gypsy and Traveller groups found in the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff, including Welsh Gypsies, English Gypsies and Irish Travellers across different tenure types and drew on a range of data types and sources, including: • Secondary information, including a literature review and secondary data analysis • Stakeholder consultation with local organisations involved with Gypsies and Travellers • A face to face survey of Gypsies and Travellers 2.8 The data provided is therefore qualitative as it is based on the views and experiences of accommodation provisions and wider service issues. 2.9 Although there are currently no authorised permanent residential or transit Gypsy and Traveller pitches within the Vale of Glamorgan stakeholders believe that there is a small settled and transient community in the area and there is one family living on a long-term unauthorised development on the outskirts of Llangan on land in the ownership of the Council. 2.10 The Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Survey and Assessment of Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Report (August 2008) concluded that there is a need for more accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers within the Vale of Glamorgan to provide for future anticipated growth. 2.11 Table 1 below shows the research findings of the estimated need in the Vale of Glamorgan for the period 2008 to 2018. Table 1 - Estimate of Need in Vale of Glamorgan 2008 to 2018 Type Additional Units Total Additional Units per annum over the 10 Year period Authorised pitches 0.6 6 Unauthorised pitches 0 0 Transit pitches (Where Gypsies and Travellers 1.5 15 may legally stop in the course of travelling) Housing 0.1 1 Gypsy and Traveller Site Assessment Background Paper 3 Vale of Glamorgan Local Development Plan 2011 - 2026 2.12 WG Circular 30/2007 'Planning for Gypsy and Caravan Sites' (December 2007) provides updated guidance to local authorities in Wales on the planning aspects of finding suitable sites for Gypsies and Travellers. It requires that where a LHMA identifies an unmet need for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in an area, Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) should allocate sufficient sites in LDPs to ensure that the identified pitch requirements for residential and transit use can be met. 2.13 A report by the Council’s Housing Services to Cabinet on the 29th July 2009 outlined the issues raised by the G&TAA and advised that the following further work be undertaken: • Identify any suitable sites within the Vale of Glamorgan to meet the need for both an authorised site and a transit site. If the Local Authority is unable to meet the assessed future need identified, the LDP should contain a reasoned explanation as to why this has not been possible. It must explain why the use of criteria based policies is necessary to ensure the adequate provision and state the detailed measures that it will take to ensure that adequate provision is made during the Plan period. In addition, criteria based policies must be fair, reasonable and effective in delivering sites. Policies that rule out or place undue constraints on the development of Gypsy and Traveller sites should not be included in the LDP. • Assess if a rural exceptions site policy should be used in the LDP if there is a lack of land to meet the identified need. • Determine if the current unauthorised site in Llangan should be regulated. • Determine the policy on any future planning applications to develop further Gypsy and Traveller sites after the identified need has been met. 2.14 The Welsh Government is committed to addressing inequalities for ethnic minority groups and communities in Wales including Gypsies and Travellers and has published “Travelling to a Better Future” a Gypsy and Traveller Framework and Action Plan for Delivery. The aim of the document is to realise the Welsh Government’s commitment to the Gypsy and Traveller community. That is, to ensure equality of opportunity for Gypsies and Travellers in Wales and to think about new ways in which Gypsies and Travellers can be enabled to access resources not always available to them. 2.15 In relation to the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers, the Framework recognises the lack of appropriate local authority site provision in Wales and pledges to work with local authorities to provide new sites and offer grant funding, support and guidance to facilitate this and the Framework pledges the continuation of the Welsh Governments programme of grants to facilitate the refurbishment of existing local authority sites and the establishment of new sites and £1.75 and £1.5 million has been identified for 2012/13 and 2013/14 respectively to cover 100% of the cost of identified works. 2.16 This topic paper therefore seeks to address the first element of the above tasks by assessing sites that might have the potential to accommodate the identified need for a permanent and transit Gypsy and Traveller site(s). Gypsy and Traveller Site Assessment Background Paper 4 Vale of Glamorgan Local Development Plan 2011 - 2026 3. Site Assessment 3.1 WG Circular 30/2007 suggests a number of ways in which a local authority might identify specific sites and make land available to meet the need identified in a LHMA. The circular states that in identifying a site, local authorities will need to demonstrate that sites are suitable and that there is a realistic likelihood that the specific sites allocated in a LDP will be made available for that purpose. The Circular identifies a number of ways in which a local authority can approach identifying a site and making land available. 3.2 One suggested approach to identifying an appropriate site is through making full use of any register of unused and under-used land owned by public bodies or vacant or under-used land in local authority ownership.