1.  That the council reaffirms its view that the setting of numerical pitch requirements for Gypsies and Travellers should be underpinned by sustainability and planning criteria and that officers request GOSE to allocate sites on an environmentally sustainable basis and that the South East Plan Policy should require that Local Authorities put forward sustainability criteria for the provision of sites in their Development Plan Documents;

2.  That the council reaffirms its view that there should be an element of redistribution of future pitch requirements for Gypsies and Travellers across the region and that this is best achieved through a 50% redistribution element, rather than the 25% element inherent in the Preferred Option, resulting in a requirement for Maidstone borough of 31 pitches;

3.  That, in view of Travelling Showpeople’s specific site requirements future pitch provision is best met through a needs based approach.  This would result in there being no requirement for additional pitches in Maidstone borough;

4.  That the approach of joint-working at a county level on transit site provision be supported, acknowledging that the county level advice which does not identify a need for transit provision in Maidstone borough continues to be supported; and

5.  That all advice areas (counties and county groupings) in the region be required to collect the relevant data on transit site needs and to act to address the identified requirement, as the Kent and Medway Advice area has done already.

6.  That delegated authority be given to the Assistant Director of Development and Community Strategy to make the Council’s case at the Examination in Public, in association with other Kent authorities as appropriate.

7.  That the Cabinet seek all opportunities to maximise public support for the Council’s position in the run up to the Examination in Public.