Decision details

Proposed decision:

The Growth, Economic Development and Communities Cabinet Committee is asked to consider and endorse or make recommendations in relation to the proposed decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, to adopt the Gypsy and Traveller Site Pitch Allocation Policy and Application Form.

Reason for the decision:

The Pitch Allocations Policy was last updated in 2012 and is pivotal to the good management of Gypsy and Travellers sites owned by KCC. The review is to ensure pitches are allocated in a fair, transparent, and consistent way across all sites.

Background:

The Gypsy and Traveller Site Pitch Allocation Policy was last updated in 2012 and it sets out how the County Council will establish an applicant’s need for a pitch on a site it owns, and how vacant plots will be allocated. 

The draft revised Policy was consulted upon from 30^th November 2022 to 7^th February 2023, following its endorsement by the Growth, Economic Development and Communities Cabinet Committee in November 2022. The results of the consultation have been received and incorporated into the revised Policy as appropriate, and the Gypsy and Traveller Site Pitch Allocation Policy is now considered ready for adoption.

This policy is pivotal to the good management of sites and ensuring that our sites provide a safe environment for Gypsy Roma Traveller communities and needs a review and refresh to ensure that it includes learnings from recent enforcement and compliance actions, as well as good practice adopted by other Local Authority Gypsy and Traveller teams.

How the proposed decision supports Framing Kent’s Future 2022-2026:

(https://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/strategies-and-policies/corporate-policies/our-council-strategy)

Priority 2: Infrastructure for Communities. Good management of sites offers a safe and quality environment for the Gypsy and Roma Community.

Options (other options considered but discarded):

The option of not revising the policy was considered but rejected due to the significance of this Policy in effective site management and the need to ensure that Council owned sites provide a safe environment for Gypsy Roma Traveller communities.

Data Protection implications:

The DPIA has been updated following the revisions made to the Policy from the Consultation feedback and is pending approval from the DPO at the time of writing.

As Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, I agree to adopt the revised Gypsy and Traveller Site Pitch Allocation Policy and Application Form and delegate to the Director Growth & Communities any further decisions that may be appropriate to deliver the policy.