Consultation is open from 3 August 2026 9:00am to 25 September 2026 5:00pm
Policy H/GT: Gypsy and Traveller pitches and Travelling Showpeople plots
1. Any proposals for new Gypsy and Traveller pitches or new Travelling Showpeople plots on unallocated non-strategic sites must:
a. Demonstrate a clear need for the new pitch(es) or plot(s), and why the need cannot be met by an existing available lawful pitch(es) or plot(s);
b. Set out who the proposed residents are, including how they meet the definition of a Gypsy and Traveller or Travelling Showperson as set out in the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (2024) or a successor document;
c. Be in a sustainable location, with access to a range of services and facilities, particularly a primary school and healthcare facilities;
d. Be located where the needs of the residents can be met without placing undue pressure on existing local services and facilities;
e. Respect the scale of the nearest settled community, and not dominate it when considered individually or in combination with other existing and planned sites;
f. Provide an appropriate environment for residents in terms of health, safety, and living conditions, and therefore not be located on contaminated land or where there are noise, dust, air quality or other issues, unless suitable remediation or mitigation can be provided prior to occupation; and
g. Consider the impacts on the surrounding area, and not have an unacceptable adverse impact, when considered individually or with other existing and planned sites, on: the amenity of surrounding land uses, the built environment, landscape character, heritage assets or their setting, biodiversity, or the amenity of public rights of way.
2. All Gypsy and Traveller pitches or Travelling Showpeople plots (on strategic or non-strategic sites that are allocated or unallocated) must be well designed, and any proposals must:
a. Set out the number of pitches or plots proposed, and be appropriate for the size and location of the site proposed;
b. Have a clear layout that includes demarcation between pitches or plots, and also between the site and the surrounding land uses, using appropriate boundary treatments and landscaping that are in keeping with the surrounding area and provide safety and security for residents;
c. Have safe and appropriate access into and out of the site for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, and not have unacceptable adverse impacts on the safety of the public highway from the traffic generated;
d. Have sufficient space within the site for the safe movement, including turning and parking, of caravans, vehicles (including emergency vehicles and refuse/recycling vehicles), pedestrians and cyclists;
e. Have sufficient space within a Travelling Showperson site for the storage, maintenance, and testing of equipment;
f. Include provision of essential utilities including water, electricity, drainage, sewerage, and the collection of refuse and recycling;
g. Clearly differentiate between public communal spaces and private spaces, and between residential and non-residential areas;
h. Provide space for play within a communal area of the site, if the site proposed is for 10 or more pitches or plots;
i. Minimise the harm to the surrounding area, and therefore any developments within the countryside must have limited built development;
j. Include amenity buildings that are of an appropriate scale and design for the location and the size of the pitch or plot; and
k. Not result in overcrowding or unnecessary sprawl and therefore pitches or plots must be an appropriate scale for the number of caravans and residents to be accommodated.
3. A varied choice, type and mix of housing will be provided within all strategic sites to meet the needs of different groups in the community including Gypsies and Travellers. For allocated strategic sites, specific requirements for the number of Gypsy and Traveller pitches to be provided are included in each site allocation policy. Any unallocated strategic site of up to 5,000 dwellings will provide 12 Gypsy and Traveller pitches on one area of serviced land of approximately 1 hectare, and any unallocated strategic site of over 5,000 dwellings will provide 24 Gypsy and Traveller pitches on two areas of serviced land of approximately 1 hectare each.
4. The Gypsy and Traveller site(s) provided on allocated or unallocated strategic sites will:
a. Be located within but on the edge of the strategic site, or outside but in close proximity to the strategic site;
b. Be accessed without relying on minor residential roads;
c. Have good access to a range of services and facilities within the strategic site, particularly a primary school and healthcare facilities; and
d. Have an agreed Delivery and Management Plan.
Supporting information
9.123. National planning policy for travellers sets out that the government’s overarching aim is to ensure fair and equal treatment for travellers, in a way that facilitates the traditional and nomadic way of life of travellers while respecting the interests of the settled community. It also requires local authorities to ensure that traveller sites are sustainable (economically, socially and environmentally), and to very strictly limit new traveller sites in open countryside that is away from existing settlements.
9.124. Our evidence shows that there is a need for additional Gypsy and Traveller pitches and Travelling Showpeople plots within Greater Cambridge, but that there are also existing vacant pitches and pitches that are not being occupied by those meeting the definition of a Gypsy and Traveller. It is therefore important that any new pitches or plots that are proposed demonstrate a clear need for the new pitches or plots, provide details on how the proposed residents meet the definition of a Gypsy and Traveller or Travelling Showperson, and are located in a sustainable location, with the design and layout of any new sites providing healthy, safe and secure living conditions for their occupants. Any proposals for Gypsy and Traveller pitches and Travelling Showpeople plots within the Green Belt and / or within areas of flood risk will be considered against the relevant national and local planning policies. It should be noted that caravans, mobile homes and park homes intended for permanent residential use are classified as ‘highly vulnerable’ and therefore should not be permitted within Flood Zones 3a or 3b.
9.125. Proposals for Gypsy and Traveller sites are predominantly residential uses and therefore will generally be acceptable within settlement boundaries, provided that the requirements in other policies in the Local Plan are also met. However, proposals for Travelling Showpeople sites generally include both residential and non-residential uses, as these sites tend to include areas for the storage and maintenance of equipment, and therefore will need to be located where a mix of uses can be accommodated within the site without impacting on the living conditions of either the proposed occupants of the site or the existing neighbouring uses.
9.126. Each Gypsy and Traveller pitch or Travelling Showpeople plot should be designed to provide appropriate accommodation for a household and will normally include space for the siting of a mobile home, a touring caravan, an amenity building containing kitchen and bathroom facilities, car parking and a turning circle for vehicles, and external amenity space. Proposals for family sites, such as to accommodate an extended family rather than one household, must identify the number of pitches the site is capable of providing if it were to be occupied by individual households, in order for the impacts of the site to be fully considered. A condition will be included on any planning permission for Gypsy and Traveller pitches or Travelling Showpeople plots that sets out the number of static and touring caravans that can be stationed on each pitch or plot permitted.
9.127. Strategic sites provide an opportunity to deliver Gypsy and Traveller pitches, alongside other types and tenures of housing, to ensure that new communities meet the needs of different groups in sustainable locations with access to services and facilities. New communities that accommodate Gypsies and Travellers and the settled community from their conception allows for the different land uses to be considered in a co-ordinated and integrated manner through the masterplanning and design process.
9.128. The management of any Gypsy and Traveller pitches within a strategic site is important to minimise any community risks arising from the development and ensure that schemes are well-integrated into the community. A Delivery and Management Plan detailing how the pitches will be delivered, managed and maintained must be produced and submitted with the planning application, and the agreed Delivery and Management Plan should be secured through a Section 106 agreement. The Delivery and Management Plan should include, but not be limited to, detailed information on the delivery mechanism and long term management and maintenance arrangements, such as:
a. Approach to delivery of pitches, including connections to utilities;
b. Measures in place to manage any issues arising that could impact on amenity in the surrounding area;
c. Security and fire safety procedures;
d. How communal areas will be maintained; and
e. Tenancies and licensing.
9.129. It is expected that the delivery of pitches within strategic sites will be in the form of serviced pitches transferred to the local authority, a Registered Provider or other agreed private provider that are ready for occupation.
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All comments must be received by 25 September 2026 at 5pm.