Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of (a) the potential merits of a national strategy to provide a nationwide network for authorised traveller sites for the Gypsy Romany Traveller community and (b) whether every local authority is meeting its obligation to provide (i) socially, (ii) environmentally, and (iii) economically sustainable sites.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
Under section 8 of the Housing Act 1985 (as amended by section 124 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016) local housing authorities have a duty to consider the housing and accommodation needs of all persons who reside in and resort to their area, including those that live in caravans and houseboats.
The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (or PPTS), read in conjunction with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the Government’s planning policy for traveller sites. Planning policy is clear that local planning authorities should assess the need for traveller accommodation and identify land for sites.
Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the number and location of such sites locally, as part of their plan and decision making duties. Paragraph 13 of the PPTS sets out that when plan making, local authorities should ensure that traveller sites are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.
Authorities are encouraged to work collaboratively to develop effective strategies to meet need through the identification of land for development.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make a nationwide assessment on the provision of authorised traveller sites for the Gypsy Romany Traveller community.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
Under section 8 of the Housing Act 1985 (as amended by section 124 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016) local housing authorities have a duty to consider the housing and accommodation needs of all persons who reside in and resort to their area, including those that live in caravans and houseboats.
The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (or PPTS), read in conjunction with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the Government’s planning policy for traveller sites. Planning policy is clear that local planning authorities should assess the need for traveller accommodation and identify land for sites.
Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the number and location of such sites locally, as part of their plan and decision making duties. Paragraph 13 of the PPTS sets out that when plan making, local authorities should ensure that traveller sites are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.
Authorities are encouraged to work collaboratively to develop effective strategies to meet need through the identification of land for development.
Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which local authorities have (a) reviewed their provision for authorised travellers sites and (b) made progress towards adequate and appropriate provision for those sites.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
This Department does not collect data on which local authorities have reviewed their provision for authorised traveller sites. It is the responsibility of local planning authorities to make their own assessment of need for traveller sites and in producing their local plan, to identify sites to meet that need. The independent examination of the plan will consider whether adequate site provision has been made for gypsies and travellers based on assessed needs. Paragraph 10a of the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites sets out that local authorities should identify and update annually, a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide 5 years' worth of sites against locally set targets.
Data on progress towards the adequate and appropriate provision for of authorised traveller sites is collected at local authority rather than Central Government level. In producing plans the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites states that local planning authorities should ensure that traveller sites are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally. Within this context, it is the responsibility of local authorities to allocate land and determine planning applications for suitable sites in appropriate locations.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s draft statutory guidance on Unauthorised Encampments, what constitutes significant damage, disruption, or distress.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The draft statutory guidance on unauthorised encampments gives examples of what might be considered by police and by courts to be significant damage, disruption and distress.
It is for the police and courts to assess the circumstances and the evidence of each individual case and to decide on proportionate enforcement action based on this.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the draft statutory guidance on Unauthorised Encampments on gypsy, Romani and traveller communities.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We have carefully considered the impact the new measures might have on people with protected characteristics, including race and ethnicity, in accordance with the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010.
The overarching equality impact assessment was published in September and is publicly available. Home Office measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill: Equalities Impact Assessment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many households are currently on waiting lists for authorised caravan sites.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Department has made no assessment on the adequacy of the provision of authorised sites. It is the responsibility of local planning authorities to make their own assessment of need for traveller sites and in producing their local plan, to identify sites to meet that need. Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the number and location of such sites locally, having had due regard to national policy and local circumstances.
The Department does not hold data on how many households are currently on waiting lists for authorised sites. This information is held by each individual local authority
Local authorities are responsible for repairs and maintenance of permanent Gypsy and Traveller sites they own, under the Mobile Homes Act 1983. Local authorities set out these responsibilities in individual Mobile Homes pitch agreements. Privately run Gypsy and Traveller sites with appropriate planning permission are subject to the local authority site licencing regime under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. Local authorities have discretion to attach conditions to a licence and can issue a compliance notice for a breach of a condition.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the facilities available on authorised caravan sites for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Department has made no assessment on the adequacy of the provision of authorised sites. It is the responsibility of local planning authorities to make their own assessment of need for traveller sites and in producing their local plan, to identify sites to meet that need. Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the number and location of such sites locally, having had due regard to national policy and local circumstances.
The Department does not hold data on how many households are currently on waiting lists for authorised sites. This information is held by each individual local authority
Local authorities are responsible for repairs and maintenance of permanent Gypsy and Traveller sites they own, under the Mobile Homes Act 1983. Local authorities set out these responsibilities in individual Mobile Homes pitch agreements. Privately run Gypsy and Traveller sites with appropriate planning permission are subject to the local authority site licencing regime under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. Local authorities have discretion to attach conditions to a licence and can issue a compliance notice for a breach of a condition.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department made of the adequacy of the provision of authorised caravan sites for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Department has made no assessment on the adequacy of the provision of authorised sites. It is the responsibility of local planning authorities to make their own assessment of need for traveller sites and in producing their local plan, to identify sites to meet that need. Local authorities are best placed to make decisions about the number and location of such sites locally, having had due regard to national policy and local circumstances.
The Department does not hold data on how many households are currently on waiting lists for authorised sites. This information is held by each individual local authority
Local authorities are responsible for repairs and maintenance of permanent Gypsy and Traveller sites they own, under the Mobile Homes Act 1983. Local authorities set out these responsibilities in individual Mobile Homes pitch agreements. Privately run Gypsy and Traveller sites with appropriate planning permission are subject to the local authority site licencing regime under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. Local authorities have discretion to attach conditions to a licence and can issue a compliance notice for a breach of a condition.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has any grant funding schemes in place to help local authorities meet the cost of providing more authorised sites for travellers; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government encourages local planning authorities to increase the number of traveller sites in appropriate locations and are supporting efforts through the new Affordable Homes Programme. Local authorities, and social housing providers can bid for funding through the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 which will leverage up to £38 billion of private and public investment, and includes funding for permanent traveller sites and transit sites.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many bids have been successful and how much funding has been allocated through the Affordable Homes Programme to support the provision of permanent traveller sites.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Between 2011 and March 2015, the Homes and Communities Agency spent around £44 million delivering more than 500 new pitches and refurbishing and nearly 400 more refurbished pitches, through the Traveller Pitch Funding programme
In addition, Under the 2015-18 Affordable Homes Programme allocations were agreed for 76 new pitches with £4.9 million funding. A further 2 allocations have been made as part of the 2016-21 Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme, delivering a total of 30 pitches.