Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan Consultation Coming Soon - Bedfordshire

From About My Area

Central Bedfordshire Council's Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan is set to open for public consultation on Monday, 20 May.

The draft Plan, which includes a recommended ‘short-list' of sites for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation, will be open for consultation until Monday, 1 July.

Residents will be able to give their views via the Planning pages of our website, while paper copies of the documents will also be available at council offices and libraries.

Cllr Nigel Young, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities (Strategic Planning and Economic Development) said: "Our Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan has provoked some strong reactions and the ‘short-list' of sites has certainly caused considerable debate. It's important that we try to meet the housing needs of all our local communities - yet we also want to fully understand the potential impact of our proposals. The upcoming consultation is the best opportunity for you to have your say on it.

"Those of you who have written or emailed already, please do so again via the questionnaire from 20th, as this is the time to make your views count. This questionnaire gives you the freedom to say what you want, using the guidelines which are necessary to make it suitable for assessment by the Planning Inspector. You will also have the opportunity to ask to make a verbal representation to the Planning Inspector, who will be given all the comments made as part of the consultation."

All submissions made as part of this upcoming consultation will be provided to the Secretary of State, who will appoint an independent Planning Inspector to examine the Plan and process. A public examination will follow in early 2014 after which the Planning Inspector will make his final ruling - either to support the Plan or ask the council to look at it again.

Details about how to fill out the consultation online will be provided before 20 May.

Updates will be posted to the Gypsy and Traveller pages of our website - www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/gypsytravellerplan

The ‘short-list' of seven proposed sites accommodates an estimated 66 possible pitches that would help to fulfil the need for the next ten years. These are:

Land E of Watling Street and S of Dunstable (Site 92)
Land W of A6, S of Faldo Rd and W of Barton-le-Clay (Site 16)
Land S of Fairfield and W of Stotfold Rd (Site 76)
1 Old Acres, Barton Rd, Pulloxhill (Site 116)
Land SE of Park Corner Farm and S of Dunton Lane (Site 55)
Land E of M1, Tingrith (Site 78)
Land E of Potton Rd and S of Ram Farm (Site 58)

The plan is to provide for a total 157 Gypsy and Traveller and 22 pitches for Travelling Showpeople in the period up to 2031. The council will meet the outstanding allocation required through major development proposals, windfall sites (unexpected applications) and current live applications or appeals.

The site recommendations were based on three waves of assessment as well as visits by councillors and the comments and feedback received from the community.

The plan also outlines the planning policies against which all planning applications for Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites will be assessed.