Council sets out next steps on Gypsy and Traveller sites consultation

A Norfolk council has thanked its community for taking part in one of the biggest consultations it has recently undertaken, and has now set out the next steps.

The consultation on the Gypsy and Traveller Development Plan Document, or G and T DPD, attracted hundreds of representations.

They came mostly from communities where possible gypsy and traveller sites had been shortlisted as scoring strongly on a checklist of criteria for what makes a good site.

During the eight-week consultation period, the council also held five well-attended drop-in information sessions, where officials were on-hand to answer detailed questions in the short-listed sites areas, and organised or attended a number of public meetings at the invitation of local residents and parish councils.

Council Leader John Fuller said:

"When illegal encampments set-up by the side of the road, local residents expect the council to take action, so providing authorised sites is absolutely essential.

“I am pleased at the number of responses that we have received during the last two months and especially the quality of the points raised. Local people have clearly thought in great detail about the sites we suggested.

“It’s going to take a few weeks to sift through all the responses but local people can be assured that their involvement in this is appreciated, and their thoughts and views will be carefully considered.”

Council officers will report back the consultation results to the council's Cabinet meeting on 29 June, where elected councillors are expected to agree a "pre-submission document".

The council will take that "pre-submission" document out again to the community for views. This will be the key document, and will identify the sites the council wishes to turn into permanent and transit sites for the Gypsy and Travelling community.

This pre-submission document and consultation with the community are expected in late July or early August.

Once that consultation is completed, council officers will again review the community responses and go back to the Cabinet on 21 September.

It is at this key Cabinet meeting that councillors will decide whether to make it their final submission to the Planning Inspectorate. That decision must then be ratified by a meeting of the Full Council on 28 September.

If Full Council says yes to the submission, it goes to the Planning Inspectorate, and a new phase of consultation begins, where a Planning Inspector will hold a "Public Examination" of the council's proposals. These next stages are in the hands of the Planning Inspectorate, but council officials believe at this stage that an Examination in Public will take place in early 2010.

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