Agenda item

To submit a report by the Head of Housing Services in relation to the above.

Submitted – the report of the Head of Housing Services in relation to the above.

The Housing Strategy and Development Manger reported that undertaking the Gypsy and Travellers Accommodation Needs Assessment (GTAA) is a statutory requirement to identify the number of Gypsies and Travellers who need pitches now or over the next 5 years (residential needs). The GTAA is also an assessment of the need for transit pitches for Gypsies and Travellers who are passing through the local authority and have their main residence elsewhere. The study has fully complied with statutory guidance from the Welsh Government. As recommended in the guidance a Steering Group was established with Gwynedd Council and Anglesey County Council Members, Officers and membership from the Gypsy and Travellers community. The Group has met regularly to oversee the study. As required the evidence used in the assessment included one to one interviews with Gypsies and Travellers, secondary data including census and education records and records of unauthorized encampments occurring in the study area. The recommendations of the report for Gwynedd and Anglesey area were included as 6.2 of Appendix 1 attached to the report. The report concentrates on the recommendations which relate to Anglesey as noted within the report.

The Housing Strategy and Development Manger further reported that she has visited the travellers on the Pentraeth Road site on a number of occasions and spoke to people who live on the site. However, of the four households on the site, only 2 persons filled a questionnaire which the Welsh Government recommended that the assessment process should be used.

The Committee considered the report and raised the following main issues :-

• Profound concerns was expressed that the local community, local businesses and the gypsy and travellers community have not received ample consultation;

• It was considered that the County Council has not attempted to have any community cohesion with the local community and the gypsy and travellers community to understand their different needs and integration with the community;

• The residents of the Pentraeth Road site have expressed that they do not want to change their way of life;

• The report discussed at the meeting states that there is a requirement for 4 pitches; there are 7 caravans in total at the Pentraeth Road site;

• The residents of the Pentraeth Road travellers site were not aware of the Gypsy and Travellers representative on the Gwynedd and Anglesey Steering Group; they had told their local Councillor that they would like to see one of the residents of the Pentraeth Road site being nominated on the Steering Group;

• A site within the south of Anglesey would be favourable to the residents of the Pentraeth Road site if the Authority was minded to designate the site as a permanent gypsy/travellers site;

• It was considered that insufficient data was collected from the new age travellers on Anglesey as only 2 questionnaires had been completed. Gwynedd Council seem to have been able to receive more data from questionnaires as they have a permanent gypsy and travellers site at Llandegai. It was stated that the neighbouring properties to the gypsy and travellers site at Penraeth

Road had not been afforded the opportunity to fill any questionnaire;

• The High Court ruling in 2009 highlighted the requirement for a ‘needs assessment’. It was considered that it was essential that a ‘needs assessment’ should take place at the Pentraeth lay-by site.

In response the Officers stated that the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 places a duty on local authorities to provide sites for Gypsies and Travellers where a need has been identified. During the last 2 years, from the pattern of unauthorised permanent and temporary encampments, it is evident that a permanent site and two temporary sites is required on Anglesey. Therefore the Assessment Needs reflects the current requirements on the Island. It has been accepted that inadequate consultation has taken place on the issue of site selection, but the document considered by the Committee focused on identifying need rather than on site selection. The draft Joint Gwynedd and Anglesey Local Development Plan will therefore need to identify permanent and temporary gypsy and travellers sites on Anglesey.

The Chief Executive reported that the Executive at its meeting held on 25 January, 2016 has deferred consideration of the report to allow consultation on the issue of identifying and developing suitable sites for gypsies and travellers. A briefing session for elected members will take place with regard to the gypsies and travellers sites. A series of meetings will also be arranged for Town/Community Councils regarding the different options put forward by the County Council. Local residents and businesses will also be given the opportunity to express their comments in ‘drop-in’ sessions within their communities.

He further stated that the timetable for the gypsy and travellers accommodation needs assessment is extremely short as there is a requirement for the assessment to be completed and submitted to Welsh Government by February 26, 2016 and to ensure that details can be included in the Local Development Plan, within the published timeline. There is a requirement that adequate consultation has taken place with the local communities; consultation responses will need to be assessed and thereafter to be discussed by the Executive.

Following in-depth discussions it was RESOLVED to recommend to the

Executive that the report on ‘Anglesey and Gwynedd Gypsy Travellers Accommodation Needs Assessment 2016’ be approved, subject to the Committee’s concerns regarding the level of consultation that has taken place with the Gypsy/Travellers community, local residents and the Town/Community Councils.

ACTION : As noted above.