A NEW transit site for travellers is not needed in Denbighshire, says a council assessment.
But eight – or up to 12 – new residential pitches across Denbighshire could be created for travellers, if the Welsh Government rubber-stamp a council report.
At a cabinet meeting, councillors discussed an independently produced report on the needs of travellers.
Denbighshire is obliged to produce the assessment every five years in line with the Housing (Wales) Act 2014. The last assessment was carried out in 2017.
The assessment concluded eight residential pitches are needed to meet the needs of three households or extended family traveller groups in the county – with provision for additional four if needed. This means caravan and motor homes can be pitched at a site indefinitely.
But Denbighshire County Council will instead take a management-based approach for ‘transit’ (temporary) sites for travellers through the county, stating there is not a need for a permanent plot.
If the Welsh Government agree with the assessment, the next phase will be identifying which plots could be used as ‘residential pitches’.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Graham Timms said a council task and finish group had worked well on the assessment – and hoped similar working groups could be used to identify the location of the traveller pitches.
“Committee members agree with the task and finish group’s view that the arrangement and processes adopted for delivering the assessment worked well and should be considered for use in future when selecting potential sites for pitches,” he said.
Cllr Mark Young is the cabinet member for planning, public protection and safer communities. Cllr Young said there was a lack of need for a transit travellers’ site.
“The report has identified a need for eight pitches in the county to provide accommodation for three families or extended households,” he said.
“The report did not identify a need for a permanent transit site in Denbighshire at this time but recommends a management approach to encampment. This is because of a combination of factors, including low numbers of encampments, the short-term nature of encampments and a lack of demand for such facilities.”
Denbighshire will now submit the assessment to the Welsh Government. Once the report is agreed, a new process will begin to identify plots of land for the eight sites.
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