Monmouthshire County Council has a legal and moral duty to ensure everyone has access to good quality homes.  The Council recognises that safe, culturally appropriate accommodation is necessary for individuals to flourish in other parts of their lives.

The Council’s Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) has identified a need for an additional 13 pitches for the Gypsy and Traveller families already living in Monmouthshire.

Three Council owned sites in Monmouthshire have been identified as potentially suitable to meet the current needs for the Gypsy and Traveller community.

A six-week consultation launches on 9^th November 2023 which seeks feedback from the community about the proposals. This is being run by Grasshopper Communications on MCC’s behalf. The closing date for feedback is 22^nd December 2023.

We will listen to all members of the community and all feedback will be summarised and responded to in the consultation report.

Process of allocating Gypsy and Traveller sites

The process of allocating Gypsy and Traveller sites is a lengthy process and takes several years before sites can be developed.  The following steps are required and at each stage there will be public engagement:

The Council’s Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment

The Council is required to undertake a Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment every five years. The Council’s 2021 GTAA identified the need for 13 pitches for families already living in Monmouthshire.

The Council is required to allocate land to meet its housing needs, including the identified need for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller sites in its Replacement Local Development Plan (LDP).  The current LDP was adopted in 2014 and is now being reviewed.  The preparation of the Replacement LDP 2018-2033 is now underway and will identify the proposed sites for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

Identifying sites

Over the last two years the Council has been undertaking a process to identify appropriate sites. 

The Council has reviewed and evaluated all the Council’s 1500 assets. The process of assessing of all the sites is in the RAG document (a spreadsheet that utilises a traffic-light system of red, amber and green to colour code evaluation findings and provide a more visual indication/overview).  This process has identified a shortlist of sites to be consulted on.

A shortlist of sites was recommended to Cabinet on 26th July 2023, however the decision was deferred to enable officers to undertake further work as three of the identified sites were considered to be unsuitable.

Over the summer 2023, officers have:

• reviewed the RAG document;
• reviewed the Council owned candidate sites put forward in the RLDP process;
• invited the public to put potential land forward for consideration; and
• continued to seek to address Gypsy, Roma and Traveller need wherever possible on existing private sites, subject to necessary permission.

The findings of this research were reported to Cabinet on 4th October 2023.  It was agreed to start the public consultation exercise on three sites as well as including any suitable sites brought forward through the public call for sites, that the owner is willing to sell or lease long term to the Council.

The Cabinet decision was subject to a Call-in request which was considered by Place Scrutiny on 23^rd October and referred to County Council on 26^th October. County Council agreed to proceed with the consultation on the three identified sites.

Proposed Gypsy and Traveller Sites

The Council is committed to bringing forward small Gypsy and Traveller sites, ideally occupied by only one family or household. Each site will be a maximum of six pitches and be well designed and landscaped.

The proposed sites will provide homes for families who are living in Monmouthshire, well-integrated in local life and have an identified need.  Three proposed sites have been identified: Oak Grove Farm and Bradbury Farm in Crick and Langley Close in Magor.

1. Oak Grove Farm, Crick (up to six pitches – approximately 7,976 m²)

• Rural
• Situated on B4245 approximately a mile from the edge of Caldicot
• The land forms part of the Council’s County Farms estate and is occupied via an agricultural tenancy. It is anticipated this tenancy would need to be amended should the site be supported for this use.
• Land currently used for agriculture

2. Bradbury Farm, Crick (up to six pitches – approximately 18,022 m²)

• Rural
• Situated directly off Crick Road
• The land forms part of the Council’s County Farms estate and is occupied via an agricultural tenancy. It is anticipated this tenancy would need to be amended should the site be supported for this use.
• M48 to the north elevation of the land
• Hedgerow and fencing to east, west and south elevation

3. Langley Close, Magor (up to six pitches – approximately 23,431m²)

• Urban
• Access off St Brides Road.
• The land forms part of the Council’s County Farms estate and is occupied via a grazing license. It is anticipated this license would need to be terminated/amended should the site be supported for this use
• Residential properties adjoining southern boundary. M4 to the north, open land to east and west.
• Tree belt around the site

The Consultation

The Council is holding a six-week public consultation on three proposed Council owned sites for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people. 

Everyone in the community is encouraged to have their say and we will ensure that everyone in the community has an equal and safe space to participate in the consultation process.

Drop-in consultation events

Two public drop-in events have been organised to provide more information about the proposals:

• Wednesday 22^nd November, 4-7pm: Portskewett Church Hall, Crick Rd, Portskewett, Caldicot NP26 5UL
• Thursday 23^rd November, 4-7pm: Magor and Undy Hub, 15 Main Road, Undy, Caldicot, NP26 3EH

There will also be a consultation event on Tuesday, 5th December, for the Gypsy and Traveller community. This event is being supported by Travelling Ahead. For more details, please contact Travelling Ahead on 0808 802 0025 or travellingahead@tgpcymru.org.uk.

Feedback

The Council is collecting feedback throughout this consultation process.

We will ensure that everyone in the community has an equal and safe space to participate in the consultation process. We have a zero-tolerance policy to any discriminatory or racist comments or behaviour.

The deadline for feedback is 22^nd December 2023.

Next Steps

This consultation period is the first stage in an ongoing process. Feedback from this consultation will be analysed and reported to Cabinet. Cabinet will then decide which site(s) will be included in the Replacement LDP Deposit Plan.

Further consultation will be undertaken as part of the Replacement Local Development Plan 2018 – 2033 Deposit Plan in 2024. There will also be further consultation as part of any future planning applications.

Get in touch

Email address: housingrenewals@monmouthshire.gov.uk
Phone: 01633 644644