Sevenoaks District Council asks for help to find land for 40 pitches for Travellers - Kent

From the Sevenoaks Chronicle

THE hunt is on to find 40 pitches for Travellers in the next four years.

The search comes as the Government tasks the district council with accommodating the growing Traveller population in the Sevenoaks area.

Now the council has appealed to residents to identify suitable land for them to set up homes.

Jill Davison, deputy leader and portfolio holder for planning and improvement, said: "We have within the district more Travellers' sites than most other areas.

"I think Maidstone also has quite a few.

"Because the Gypsies are here and settled, they want the coming generations to settle here, which means we need more sites for the coming generations.

"When we did the second gypsy survey last year, that is one of the questions we had to ask: 'Where do you think your family will want to settle?"

"That means we end up with quite a substantial number of sites required, more so than other districts."

Cllr Davison added that the sites would not be grouped together to create a large park and that the creation of pitches should not be a concern for residents.

"We have sites around Edenbridge like Hever Road and elsewhere and they are no trouble," she said.

In September 2011, Sevenoaks District Council commissioned the Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit at the University of Salford to produce a Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Assessment.

Their final report was published in March.

The surveyors estimated that at least 498 gypsies and travellers lived in the district in October 2011.

Two of the most concentrated areas are the Polhill Caravan Park in Dunton Green, which has seven residential pitches and 23 people living on the site, and Barnfield Park in New Ash Green, which has 35 residential pitches and 95 people living on the site.

The survey also found that the need for more space by residents in Barnfield Park was particularly acute.

The report recommends the creation of 72 new pitches in total, 40 between 2012 and 2016, 15 pitches between 2017 and 2021 and 17 between 2022 and 2026.

The need for accommodation will rise because when temporary planning permission ends, multiple families currently living on the same site will need more space and new households will form unauthorised developments.

Summarising the report, researchers said the need to accommodate Travellers would ultimately improve their health and education, which would help lessen the animosity between them and other residents of the district.

It concluded: "Permanent solutions will offer the best chance for positive outcomes for all concerned and create a platform where greater engagement and cohesion can be fostered and developed throughout the district."

If local people wish to suggest potential sites, they can do so by calling Sevenoaks District Council on 01732 227000 and speaking to the district council's planning policy department or by e-mailing ldf@sevenoaks.gov.uk

The study included some of the defining features of the gypsy and traveller population of Sevenoaks, including:

The household size is significantly larger than in the non-traveller population, at 3.4 persons across the whole sample

A significant minority of the sample – 17 per cent – were households over 60 years of age

The majority of Gypsies and Travellers in trailers and in housing can be seen to belong, in some way, to the district. The vast majority of people had lived in the area for more than ten years

Many of these were born or had strong family links in the area

The local population is dominated by Romany Gypsies (91 per cent) with a much smaller number of Irish Travellers (6 per cent)

There was a mix of households who still travelled and those who no longer travelled

A number of those who no longer travelled cited education, health and age related reasons for becoming more stationary sedentary.

The survey showed that Gypsies and Travellers were living in a range of different properties across the district, including:

1) Three socially rented sites in the district, two managed by the county council Kent County Council and one by Sevenoaks District Council the district council. Together These provide accommodation for 58 pitches.

2) Eleven authorised permanent private sites, accommodating 30 pitches/households.

3) Seven authorised private sites with temporary consent, accommodating 14 pitches/households.

4) Eight unauthorised developments, land owned by Gypsies and Travellers but developed without planning permission. These accommodate approximately with about 21 pitches/households.

5) Forty families households living in bricks and mortar housing

6) One yard for travelling Showpeople in the district (a group of occupational Travellers who work on travelling shows and fairs across the UK and abroad), accommodating a single household.