Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

Context

Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople form part of our communities and have specific accommodation needs which must be considered as part of the housing needs in the new local plan. National planning policy requires councils to plan for these needs, based on robust evidence, while also promoting sustainable development and good relations between travelling and settled communities.

The 2018 Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) looked at the need for permanent residential sites within the borough during the local plan period to 2043. Permanent residential Gypsy and Traveller sites refer to sites for individuals who are seeking a permanent residential base in Tamworth. This does not include those in transit who stop temporarily in the borough before moving on.

The most up‑to‑date evidence shows that there is currently no objectively assessed need for permanent residential pitches or plots in Tamworth, although we need to set out the way we will assess proposals from private individuals for this type of development, should these be submitted. The borough is tightly constrained by its boundaries, flood risk and existing development, and this evidence forms the basis of the proposed approach.