1/2006
Circular 01/2006 ‘Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites’ requires local authorities to allocate sufficient sites for gypsies and travellers, in accordance with the number of pitches required by the
Regional Spatial Strategy. In addition, the Housing Act 2004 requires local housing authorities to include gypsies and travellers in their housing needs assessments and prepare a strategy which demonstrates how the accommodation needs of gypsies and travellers will be met.
10/2006
The Bedfordshire and Luton Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment, October 2006, concluded that there is a need for more accommodation for gypsy and travellers in the study area. It
recommended that between 34 to 40 pitches need to be provided within South Bedfordshire.
2/2008
The East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) Single Issue Review published a draft policy on planning for Gypsy and Traveller caravan pitches in February 2008.
3/2008
Mott MacDonald was commissioned by South Bedfordshire Council in March 2008 to undertake a study to identify potential gypsy and traveller sites and travelling showmen yards.
12/2008
Independent planning inspectors published their recommendations to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the 18th December 2008. The inspectors recommend an
increase in residential pitches from EERA’s draft policy in South Bedfordshire. The number of additional residential pitches proposed by the EERA’s draft policy was 45 over a 5 year period from 2006 for South Bedfordshire. But the number of additional residential pitches proposed by planning inspectors was 50 for South Bedfordshire from 2006 to 2011.
Since the DCA Study was undertaken in 2006, permission has been granted and implemented for 20 Gypsy and Traveller pitches and 2 Travelling Showmen Yards have been approved at Gogs Farm, Old
Linslade Road and Greenacres Farm, Billington Road. Permission has also been granted for 5 Gypsy and Traveller pitches but these pitches have not yet been taken up.
13 January 2009
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| Potential sites within Houghton Regis boundary: (1) Land off Sandringham Drive, (2) Kingsland Former Community College, (3)Thorn Turn |
31/1/2009
Update - 17th February 2009 ~ by CllrAlan Winter
When the South Beds-run Conservative council announced traveller sites for Houghton Regis, even the Lib Dem Councillors that represent Houghton Regis residents had to find out the news from the local newspapers. We have prepared this informational website because we know the public has not been given accurate information about these sites.
The plans to establish new travellers sites were presented at the SBDC Executive Committee on 13th January 2009, and quickly distributed to local newspapers. The announcement was swiftly followed by waves of angry phone calls from Houghton Regis residents to myself and fellow local councillors. The decision to make the announcement was made by a core of Conservative councillors who control the running of South Beds District Council. Your Lib Dem councillors have had no say in these Executive decisions.
The chosen areas, included land off Sandringham Drive, Houghton Regis, Kingsland Former Community College, Sundon Road, and Thorn Turn, Thorn Road.
A group of Houghton Regis town councillors were invited along to a planning meeting at the SBDC offices on 17th February 2009. There we learnt that the decision was taken after paid consultants identified areas in South Bedfordshire District Council's region that would satisfy Central Government directives. South Beds is not providing sufficient sites for travellers, gipsies and showmen, and as a consequence of this, the SBDC officers complained that when they issued notices to remove travellers from illegally occupied sites the courts determined that the SBCD was in contravention of regulations to provide sufficient sites for travellers.
Saskia Duncan, a spokesperson for the Joint Technical Unit SBDC, told me "National and regional guidance was used to develop a set of criteria against which to evaluate potential sites and existing sites. All the sites brought forward from the various ‘calls for sites’ were subject to this assessment."
Of the survey undertaken by these paid consultants, (a heavy document was waved at us on our visit to the SBDC offices). Iit has not escaped our attention that the only sites available and chosen within South Bedfordshire are ones where Conservative support is poorest, like Houghton Regis, and Barton.
Saskia Duncan told me, "The Study will be subject to future public consultation later on in the year as part of the Local Development Framework process. Should you wish to be notified, your contact details can be added to our LDF database. "
Update - 29/3/2009
When Conservative-run South Beds District Council announced traveller sites for Houghton Regis, even the 6 Lib Dem Councillors that represent Houghton Regis residents had to find out the news from the local newspapers.
The plans to establish new traveller's sites were presented at SBDC Executive Committee on 13th January 2009, and quickly distributed to local newspapers. The announcement was swiftly followed by waves of angry phone calls from Houghton Regis residents to the Lib Dem councillors. The decision to make the announcement was made by a core of Conservative councillors who control the running of South Beds District Council. Lib Dem councillors have no say in these Executive decisions.
The chosen areas, include land off Sandringham Drive, Houghton Regis, Kingsland Former Community College, Sundon Road, and Thorn Turn, Thorn Road. .
A group of Houghton Regis town councillors were invited along to a planning meeting at the S.B.D.C. offices on 17th February 2009. There we learnt that the decision was taken after paid consultants identified areas in South Bedfordshire District Council's region that would satisfy Central Government directives. Apparently South Beds is not providing sufficient sites for travellers, gypsies and showmen, and as a consequence of this, the S.B.D.C. officers complained that when they issue notices to remove travellers from illegally occupied sites, the courts determined that the S.B.D.C. was in contravention of regulations to provide sufficient sites for travellers.
Saskia Duncan, a spokesperson for the Joint Technical Unit S.B.D.C., told me "National and regional guidance was used to develop a set of criteria against which to evaluate potential sites and existing sites. All the sites brought forward from the various ‘calls for sites’ were subject to this assessment."
Of the survey undertaken by these paid consultants, (a heavy document was waved at us on our visit to the S.B.D.C. offices, as if the size of the document justified the expense), it has not escaped our attention that the only sites apparently available and chosen within South Bedfordshire are ones were Conservative support is poorest.
The Report to the Executive Committee is available online and provides a summary of the Study including the set of criteria used in assessing potential sites.
Saskia Duncan told me, "The Study will be subject to future public consultation later on in the year as part of the Local Development Framework process. Should you wish to be notified, your contact details can be added to our LDF database. "
Update - 18/5/2009
On Saturday Lib Dems stood in rain showers to collect signatures for their petition against proposals by Tories to put 3 gypsy and traveller sites in Houghton Regis. It is very unfair how it has been decided where the sites should be. Neither travellers, gypsies, or the locally settled population have been consulted.
Update -5/6/2009
At 4.15am today the result of the Central Bedfordshire Elections for the Houghton Regis ward were announced:
3 potential sites for travellers have been identified in Houghton Regis.
(1) Land off Sandringham Drive,
(2) Kingsland Former Community College,
(3)Thorn Turn
The news came as a complete shock to the HR town council, who were not consulted. Worse, the 6 LibDem District councillors for HR were not informed. They had to find the news out from the local newspapers and answer their phones non-stop as worried residents rang them. South Beds District Council (Tory-run) ran the press release mid-month January.
Update - 17th February 2009 ~ by CllrAlan Winter
When the South Beds-run Conservative council announced traveller sites for Houghton Regis, even the Lib Dem Councillors that represent Houghton Regis residents had to find out the news from the local newspapers. We have prepared this informational website because we know the public has not been given accurate information about these sites.
The plans to establish new travellers sites were presented at the SBDC Executive Committee on 13th January 2009, and quickly distributed to local newspapers. The announcement was swiftly followed by waves of angry phone calls from Houghton Regis residents to myself and fellow local councillors. The decision to make the announcement was made by a core of Conservative councillors who control the running of South Beds District Council. Your Lib Dem councillors have had no say in these Executive decisions.
The chosen areas, included land off Sandringham Drive, Houghton Regis, Kingsland Former Community College, Sundon Road, and Thorn Turn, Thorn Road.
A group of Houghton Regis town councillors were invited along to a planning meeting at the SBDC offices on 17th February 2009. There we learnt that the decision was taken after paid consultants identified areas in South Bedfordshire District Council's region that would satisfy Central Government directives. South Beds is not providing sufficient sites for travellers, gipsies and showmen, and as a consequence of this, the SBDC officers complained that when they issued notices to remove travellers from illegally occupied sites the courts determined that the SBCD was in contravention of regulations to provide sufficient sites for travellers.
Saskia Duncan, a spokesperson for the Joint Technical Unit SBDC, told me "National and regional guidance was used to develop a set of criteria against which to evaluate potential sites and existing sites. All the sites brought forward from the various ‘calls for sites’ were subject to this assessment."
Of the survey undertaken by these paid consultants, (a heavy document was waved at us on our visit to the SBDC offices). Iit has not escaped our attention that the only sites available and chosen within South Bedfordshire are ones where Conservative support is poorest, like Houghton Regis, and Barton.
Saskia Duncan told me, "The Study will be subject to future public consultation later on in the year as part of the Local Development Framework process. Should you wish to be notified, your contact details can be added to our LDF database. "
Update - 29/3/2009
When Conservative-run South Beds District Council announced traveller sites for Houghton Regis, even the 6 Lib Dem Councillors that represent Houghton Regis residents had to find out the news from the local newspapers.
The plans to establish new traveller's sites were presented at SBDC Executive Committee on 13th January 2009, and quickly distributed to local newspapers. The announcement was swiftly followed by waves of angry phone calls from Houghton Regis residents to the Lib Dem councillors. The decision to make the announcement was made by a core of Conservative councillors who control the running of South Beds District Council. Lib Dem councillors have no say in these Executive decisions.
The chosen areas, include land off Sandringham Drive, Houghton Regis, Kingsland Former Community College, Sundon Road, and Thorn Turn, Thorn Road. .
A group of Houghton Regis town councillors were invited along to a planning meeting at the S.B.D.C. offices on 17th February 2009. There we learnt that the decision was taken after paid consultants identified areas in South Bedfordshire District Council's region that would satisfy Central Government directives. Apparently South Beds is not providing sufficient sites for travellers, gypsies and showmen, and as a consequence of this, the S.B.D.C. officers complained that when they issue notices to remove travellers from illegally occupied sites, the courts determined that the S.B.D.C. was in contravention of regulations to provide sufficient sites for travellers.
Saskia Duncan, a spokesperson for the Joint Technical Unit S.B.D.C., told me "National and regional guidance was used to develop a set of criteria against which to evaluate potential sites and existing sites. All the sites brought forward from the various ‘calls for sites’ were subject to this assessment."
Of the survey undertaken by these paid consultants, (a heavy document was waved at us on our visit to the S.B.D.C. offices, as if the size of the document justified the expense), it has not escaped our attention that the only sites apparently available and chosen within South Bedfordshire are ones were Conservative support is poorest.
The Report to the Executive Committee is available online and provides a summary of the Study including the set of criteria used in assessing potential sites.
Saskia Duncan told me, "The Study will be subject to future public consultation later on in the year as part of the Local Development Framework process. Should you wish to be notified, your contact details can be added to our LDF database. "
Update - 18/5/2009
On Saturday Lib Dems stood in rain showers to collect signatures for their petition against proposals by Tories to put 3 gypsy and traveller sites in Houghton Regis. It is very unfair how it has been decided where the sites should be. Neither travellers, gypsies, or the locally settled population have been consulted.
Update -5/6/2009
At 4.15am today the result of the Central Bedfordshire Elections for the Houghton Regis ward were announced:
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