LGA funded research on Gypsy and Traveller sites completed for the Council
Consultant, De Montfort University, has concluded a 9 month investigation of the challenges facing Local Authorities in seeking to include Gypsy and Traveller sites in planned urban extensions. The research is part of the IDeA Housing Advisers Programme.
The 20 page report “Negotiating the delivery of Gypsy &Traveller sites through local planning” has found no substantive evidence to support the assertions made by some developers that the inclusion of pitches in housing schemes can impact on the viability of the development. This follows efforts to engage with mortgage lenders in the UK. The report has been informed by a survey of Local Authorities and an investigation of how residential property prices may be affected by the proximity of other land uses.
The report concludes that ‘certainty increases viability’ and points to how the well-scoped plans can decrease the risk and uncertainty felt by developers and lenders. The Mid Devon Local Plan Review includes site allocation policies for urban extensions which place requirements for the delivery of pitches for Gypsies and Travellers.
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