Policy statement on the needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople to be discussed
26 February 2010
Wycombe District Council's Cabinet Members will review an interim policy statement (IPS) which identifies how the needs of the Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople community should be met within the district in the short term.
Further to the consultation on the draft IPS, which attracted over 900 responses, a more detailed appraisal of each of the short-listed site locations has been carried out. The IPS which is recommended to Cabinet for adoption on Monday 8 March, proposes three sites as being potentially suitable to meet the shorter term needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. These sites are:
- The Willows, Marsh Lane, Bishopstone
- Dry Banks, Oxford Road, Stokenchurch
- Five Oaks Farm, Studley Green
These three sites would be subject to the normal planning application process, consultation and detailed assessment against relevant planning policy. Other sites that were identified on the draft IPS were evaluated, but were not found to be appropriate to meet the shorter-term needs.
Should Cabinet approve the interim policy statement - which includes a list of site development criteria - the next steps would be to advise all interested parties about it and to work closely with landowners, specialist advisors and the Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Community. Once the outcome of the South East Plan examination and any update to government policy is known, work will start on the Wycombe Development Framework to bring forward appropriate sites for medium and longer term needs.
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