Purpose

Update on work undertaken to deliver Travellers Temporary
Stopping Site including review of site(s).

Content

RESOLVED

 

KEY DECISION

 

That the Executive:

 

a)    
Noted the update report and
recommend that the project to provide a Travellers Temporary
Stopping Site be progressed in relation to the proposed revised
preferred site on land in the ownership of North Northamptonshire
Council off of Junction 11 of the A14 close to
the 
village of Woodford known as
‘Generals Corner’.

 

b)    
Revoked the decision of
21st
December 2023 to provide a
Travellers Temporary Stopping site at the previous preferred
location on Council land adjacent to Junction 3 of the A14 close to
the town of Rothwell.

 

c)    
Agreed that the Temporary Stopping
site be progressed as an emergency stopping site with associated
facilities.

 

d)    
Delegated authority to the
Executive Director for Place and Economy in consultation with the
Executive Member for Regulatory Services to submit an application
for planning permission for the project and procure the necessary
works to provide the Travellers Temporary Stopping site, and
undertake any other actions required to deliver the project within
the approved budget.

 

 

Reasons for
Recommendations 

 

•          
To procure and undertake the
required works in line with the Council’s constitution and
financial regulations in relation to governance.

•          
There is a strategic need to make
provision for temporary stopping places to serve the North
Northamptonshire area, as demonstrated by the 2019 Gypsy and
Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA).

•          
A revised GTAA is currently being
prepared by the Council’s consultants Opinion Research
Services (ORS), this is due to report in October
2025. 
Initial discussions with ORS
indicate that whilst there has been a reduction in numbers of
families travelling following COVID, there remains a clear need for
temporary stopping site provision locally and nationally. As no
facility has been provided since and before 2019, then the
recommendation is likely to remain for such provision to be made,
evidenced in the 2025 GTAA. 

•          
Currently there are no temporary
stopping places for transient travellers passing through the NNC
area to use which would provide safe and secure places to stop with
minimum suitable facilities. 

•          
Provision of a temporary stopping
place within the Council’s area would enable the Council and
the Police to better manage UEs within the Council’s area and
limit the adverse impacts of UEs on settled communities.

 

Alternative Options
Considered

 

•          
There is an option to do nothing,
however this would not address the strategic need for a temporary
stopping place within the Council area, which provides a safe and
secure place to stop with minimum suitable facilities and would not
allow the Council and the Police working together to exercise
‘direction’ powers available to them in law to better
manage UEs and their impact on settled communities.

 

•          
Alternative locations for
temporary stopping places on land in the ownership of the Council
were considered prior to submitting the DHLUC Traveller Site Fund
bid and disregarded as being unsuitable.

 

•          
A location at the junction of A43
and Northampton Road, Broughton was considered but discounted as it
was not on land owned by NNC and there were concerns about its
deliverability including securing planning permission.

 

•          
A location on Council land at
junction 3 of the A14 close to the village of Rothwell as set out;
in the failed bid to the DHLUC Traveller Site Fund in 2022 and the
‘Traveller Temporary Stopping Site land at Junction 3 of the
A14, Rothwell’ report to Executive on 21st
December 2023. This was the
previous preferred site location, but this has been subject to
challenges as to its suitability.

 

•          
There is also an option to look
for other alternative sites should the Executive not wish to
develop the current identified site at off of Junction 11 of the
A14 close to the village of Woodford known as ‘Generals
Corner’, although it should be noted that a previous review
of NNC owned landholdings has not identified any other suitable
site locations.