Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure local authorities allocate land in their local plans to meet their estimated need for new sites for Travellers.

As set out in the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites, the Government has asked local planning authorities, as part of their local plan, to identify and update annually a five year supply of specific, deliverable sites to meet local need for traveller sites. Local planning authorities should set pitch and plot targets to address the accommodation needs of travellers in their area.

The National Planning Policy Framework clarifies that local plans will be examined by an independent inspector whose role is to assess whether the plan has been prepared in accordance with the Duty to Cooperate, legal and procedural requirements, and whether it is sound. A local planning authority should submit a plan for examination which is consistent with national policy, including the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites.