The Cheshire Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) is a joint study on behalf of ourselves, Cheshire authorities (Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East) and Halton Borough Council.

We work in partnership on Gypsy and Traveller issues. The outcomes of this study supersede the need figures of any previous Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Needs Assessments completed in the study area.

The GTAA provides an evidence base to enable each local authority to comply with their requirements towards Gypsies, Travellers (G&T) and Travelling Showpeople (TS) under the Housing Act 2004, the National Planning Policy Framework 2012 and Planning Policy for Traveller Sites 2015. 

The main objective of the study is to provide each local authority with robust, defensible and up-to-date evidence about the accommodation needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople in their area for the 15 year period from 2017 up to 2032. 

National planning policy requires local planning authorities to make an assessment of the need for Gypsy and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople accommodation and to meet that need through the identification of land for sites.  More specifically, it requires local planning authorities to identify a supply of deliverable sites sufficient to provide the need and a supply of developable sites over a five year period, or broad locations for growth, for years six to 10 and, where possible, for years 11-15 of their Local Plan.

As well as updating the previous GTAA, another reason for completing the study was the publication of a revised version of Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (PPTS) in August 2015.  This included a change to the definition of Travellers for planning purposes.  

The key change that was made was the removal of the term persons.... 'who have ceased to travel permanently' meaning that those who've ceased to travel permanently will not now fall under the planning definition of a Traveller for the purposes of assessing accommodation need.

Key Outcomes:

• There's a need for 15 additional pitches for G&T households that meet the planning definition (including an element for unknown need).
• There's a need for 15 additional plots for TS households that meet the planning definition (including an element for unknown need).
• Due to sustained, and in places increased numbers of encampments, it is recommended that a new transit site of between 5-10 pitches (10-20 caravan spaces) still needs to be developed in Warrington.
• It's recommended that need for households that meet the planning definition, is addressed through new pitch allocations or the expansion or intensification of existing sites.  Any need arising from unknown or new households seeking to move to the area and develop a site should be addressed through a criteria-based Local Plan Policy.  The need for households who don't meet the planning definition should be considered as part of future housing mix and type within the context of the assessment of overall housing need through their Local Housing Need Assessments (LHNA).