Gypsies and Traveller Accommodation Assessment

An assessment of the accommodation needs of people who wish to pursue a nomadic lifestyle (especially for sites and pitches for their caravans, though also for more permanent housing). The assessment covers the need for transit and permanent sites, and sites in public and private ownership. The assessment is a legal requirement of Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) under the Housing Act 2004.

An accompanying strategy shows how the identified needs are to be met, and information from the assessment is used in the preparation of Development Plans. It is Government policy that all Councils contribute to resolving the current shortage of authorised sites for Gypsies and Travellers and that the number of sites in appropriate locations should be increased significantly.

The term Gypsy and Traveller encompasses all those of a nomadic way of life, whatever their race or origin, and so includes New Travellers and travelling showpeople as well as more traditional Romany Gypsies and Irish/ Scottish Travellers. It also includes those who have ceased traveling because of the family’s educational or health needs or old age.