A DRAFT of Stratford District Council’s Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople planning document has gone out to public consultation.
The Supplementary Planning Document is one of a number which accompanies the Core Strategy, and provides advice and guidance to applicants relating to Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation. Once adopted, it will be used by the council to help reach decisions on whether to approve or refuse planning applications.
The consultation draft sets out the need for additional accommodation in the district and identifies areas where such sites may be suitable, subject to planning permission, as well as guidance on their design and layout.
As an interim measure, the contents of the SPD will be subsumed into a Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan in due course. The council has started work on a Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan and is exploring options to identify new permanent sites.
Deputy leader Coun Daren Pemberton said: “This consultation is an important element of the council’s strategy to enable the needs of Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople to be met in the most sustainable locations across the district.
“The council already plans for meeting the housing need of the settled community and I welcome the council’s proactive approach through this SPD in enabling the provision of suitable accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. Creating sustainable communities which meet the needs of all sectors of the community is an important role of the district council and this SPD seeks to contribute towards this aspiration.
“It is important that the public has the opportunity to inform the SPD and we welcome comments on its content.”
The draft document will go out to public consultation between January 7 and February 19 when it will be available to view and comment on at www.stratford.gov.uk/gandt.
