Councils Work Together to Find Suitable Sites

Published
Gloucestershire’s district councils have issued a ‘Call for Sites’ appealing for landowners to contact them, if they have available land that could be used for local communities such as Gypsies, Travellers, Bargees and Travelling Showpeople.

Six local authorities in Gloucestershire: Cheltenham, Cotswold, Forest of Dean, Gloucester, Stroud and Tewkesbury, are all working together to look for land that can be used for pitches, plots or moorings.

The areas are needed for the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Travelling Showpeople and Bargee communities.

Nationally there is a shortage of sites and councils must designate areas that are suitable for all their communities. In order to help identify potential sites the local authorities ask land owners and communities for suggestions of sites.

The councils are then able to assess the site submissions to see if they are available and suitable for the proposed use. As with any sites suggested for development, some may not be available or suitable, although the aim of this exercise is to help identify land that can provide housing for the above groups.

A single online form has been created, that will collect information for all six councils (at the end of the process, each council will then get the data/sites for their specific council area for consideration).

Anyone who owns land or waterspace, or who knows of any land that may be available for permanent pitches, plots or moorings, or temporary resting places anywhere in Gloucestershire can complete and return a Site Submission Form.

To submit a site or to find out more information call Gloucester City Council’s Planning Team on 01452 396396 or visit the website.

The ‘call for sites’ runs until October 6.