Potential gypsy/traveller sites

The second issue raised in the Public forum at the last Parish Council meeting was the work to identify potential gypsy/traveller sites. A representative of Tarvin Residents Group urged the PC to respond to CWaC's latest consultation on a "scoping review" for traveller sites.

It was suggested that the PC should employ a consultant to help them frame a response
The PC agreed that it should respond and that a consultant should be engaged (to be paid for from the PC's 2018/19 special projects budget). The consultant should take into account the following statement prepared by the PC:
"The PC has considered the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) scoping report and makes the following comments which it hopes CWaC will find useful:

the considerations which are set out in the GTAA seem to be a counsel of perfection leading one to wonder if any site could meet the criteria. It is the opinion of the PC that site selection should give considerable weight to the following four criteria:

• Environmental effects
• The traditions and views of the community whose needs are being met
• Sites where no obvious alternative uses have been identified in the recent past
• Brownfield or other previously developed sites

Given that the travelling community itself has expressed a preference for privately owned sites the PC is not convinced by CWaC's apparent preference for publicly owned sites"