Interview with Michael Thornton, Head of Spatial Planning and Sarah Anderton, Principal Planning Officer.

The Chairman welcomed Sarah Alderton, Principle Planning Officer to the meeting. The Committee was informed that the Council needed to set a target for Gypsy and Traveller pitches as well as encouraging Kent County Council to assist in this area. Miss Alderton stressed the importance of having an evidence based target. The report identified the number of pitches needed for the period 2006-2016. The number of pitches identified to meet local need was 95 some of which were already in place leaving a shortfall of 28 pitches. Currently the department were taking legal advice on the weather local criteria can be included. As there was no established methodology or best practice of how local pitch targets should be set a third party review was planned. In response to questions Miss Alderton stated that the third party reviewed had not yet been appointed but they were considering the Planning Officers Society and the Planning Advisory Service, which had also been used by KCC.

A Member expressed the need to be proactive regarding the formulation of new guidance and discussed possible lobbying with the aim of allowing local Councils to set local housing needs targets. The Committee concurred that lobbying of Members of Parliament, the Local Government Association and the Local Government Rural Forum was a wise idea in order to inform and influence national guidance and to gain support for the introduction of Local Housing Needs Policies.

A Member expressed concern that if at the end of the process another site is required that there may not be the funds within the Capital Programme to pay for it. It was recommended that Cabinet should be made aware that they may need to find a significant capital sum if at the end of the process another site was required and that this should be included in their discussions on the forward capital programme.

There was a query as to why the targets for Gypsy and Traveller sites only went up to 2016 when the Core Strategy ends in 2026. It was noted that post 2016 the evidence base would be dated and the current plan was to do a desktop update for the period between 2016 and 2026. The Committee recommended that this was made explicit in the Core strategy document.

It was noted by the Committee that the Council had resolved to have a Development plan Document that would allocate Gypsy and Traveller sites, however, this document could not be put in place ahead of the Core Strategy.

The Committee expressed their support for and endorsed the recommendations and complimented Miss Alderton on her report. It was agreed that the Committee would keep a ‘watching brief’ on developing a local needs housing policy that would include Gypsy and Travellers once further legal advice has been received.

It was resolved that:

a)  the Committee endorses the recommendations of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment as set out in the Core Strategy Gypsy and Traveller Pitch Target report;

b)  the Council lobbies Members of Parliament, the Local Government Association and the Local Government Rural forum in relation to the special circumstances regarding the gypsy and traveller provision prevailing in the Borough to inform and influence national guidance and in particular to allow local planning authorities to adopt local housing need policies relating to this policy area.

c)  Cabinet discusses the resources required for funding a site and notes that this may require a significant capital sum and therefore could impact on the capital programme;

d)  reference be made in the Core Strategy about how Gypsy and Traveller pitch needs will be reviewed beyond 2016;

e)  the Committee:

1.  Be informed who the third party reviewers are once it is known ; and

2.  Maintains a watching brief on developing a local needs housing policy to include gypsy and travellers once legal advice has been received.