Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Assessment Final Report (amended) August 2018 Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington GTAA (amended) – August 2018 Opinion Research Services, The Strand, Swansea SA1 1AF Steve Jarman, Claire Thomas and Ciara Small Enquiries: 01792 535300 · [email protected] · www.ors.org.uk © Copyright August 2018 Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 Contains OS Data © Crown Copyright (2018) Please note that this version of the GTAA Report (published August 2018) has been updated to include details of a public transit site in Cheshire East. This has not resulted in any changes to the levels of need that have been identified for additional pitches. Changes have been made to the following sections of the report: Paragraphs 1.47, 1.48, 1.49, 1.53, 4.5, 5.12, 7.100, 7.104, 7.108, 8.21 and 8.23. Figures 11, 15 and 78. Page 2 Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington GTAA (amended) – August 2018 Contents 1. Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction and Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 6 Key Findings .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Additional Pitch Needs – Gypsies and Travellers ........................................................................................... 7 Summary of Need for Gypsies and Travellers .............................................................................................. 11 Additional Plot Needs - Travelling Showpeople ........................................................................................... 11 Transit Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 13 Implications of Changes to Government Guidance ...................................................................................... 14 2. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 15 The Study ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 Definitions .................................................................................................................................................... 15 The Planning Definition in PPTS (2015) ........................................................................................................ 15 Definition of Travelling ................................................................................................................................. 16 Legislation and Guidance for Gypsies and Travellers ................................................................................... 18 Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (2015) ..................................................................................................... 18 3. Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 20 Background ................................................................................................................................................... 20 Desk-Based Review ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Stakeholder Engagement ............................................................................................................................. 20 Survey of Travelling Communities ................................................................................................................ 21 Engagement with Bricks and Mortar Households ........................................................................................ 22 Timing of the Fieldwork ................................................................................................................................ 23 Applying the Planning Definition .................................................................................................................. 23 Unknown Households................................................................................................................................... 24 Households that do not meet the Planning Definition ................................................................................ 26 Calculating Current and Future Need ........................................................................................................... 26 Pitch Turnover .............................................................................................................................................. 27 Transit Provision ........................................................................................................................................... 28 4. Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Sites and Population .................................................. 29 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 29 Sites and Yards in the Study Area ................................................................................................................. 30 MHCLG Traveller Caravan Count .................................................................................................................. 31 Page 3 Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington GTAA (amended) – August 2018 5. Stakeholder Engagement .............................................................................................................. 33 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 33 Cheshire East ................................................................................................................................................ 34 Cheshire West and Chester .......................................................................................................................... 36 Halton ........................................................................................................................................................... 39 Warrington ................................................................................................................................................... 41 Travelling Showpeople ................................................................................................................................. 42 Response from Irish Community Care (ICC) ................................................................................................. 43 Wider Issues ................................................................................................................................................. 44 6. Survey of Travelling Communities ................................................................................................. 45 Interviews with Gypsies and Travellers ........................................................................................................ 45 Bricks and mortar interviews ........................................................................................................................ 48 7. Current and Future Pitch Provision ................................................................................................ 49 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 49 New Household Formation........................................................................................................................... 49 Applying the Planning Definition .................................................................................................................. 51 Migration ...................................................................................................................................................... 52 Cheshire East Council ................................................................................................................................... 53 Cheshire West and Chester Council ............................................................................................................. 59 Halton Borough Council ................................................................................................................................ 64 Transit Requirements – All Local Authorities ............................................................................................... 73 Transit Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 74 8. Conclusions .................................................................................................................................. 76 Cheshire East ...............................................................................................................................................