Traveller and Travelling Showpeople sites proposed
New pitches and plots are being proposed to increase the amount of accommodation available for Traveller and Travelling Showpeople across South Worcestershire.
Malvern Hills District, Worcester City and Wychavon District Councils need to provide about 72 extra pitches and 9 additional plots by 2033 to meet demand.
A public consultation has now started on the Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document, which sets out where some of these sites are proposed.
They are:
Malvern Hills
Hillbee Farm, Welland Rd, Upton upon Severn - 3 new pitches at existing site
Wychavon
The Orchard, Knowle Hill, Evesham - 5 new pitches at existing site
Blossom Hill, Village Street, Aldington - 2 new pitches at existing site
Hughes Barn, Bretforton Road, Badsey – new site providing 6 pitches
Worcester City
No sites are currently planned. Sites were submitted for Worcester City but having been assessed against the various criteria, none were found to be suitable.
This will leave a shortfall across all three council areas to be met through applications coming through the standard planning process.
Finding suitable sites to meet the needs of the Traveller and Travelling Showpeople community has proved difficult.
A call for people to put forward potential sites in October last year resulted in 10 suggestions which were all assessed and considered unsuitable. This was the third invitation for people to submit potential sites.
County and district owned land has also been considered, but none of these sites were suitable.
Landowners and agents who put forward land as part of the South Worcestershire Development Plan for housing and employment were also asked whether they would support an alternative use for Traveller accommodation, but this did not result in any additional sites.
Cllr Lucy Hodgson, Chair of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Joint Advisory Panel, said: "It is important we make provision for the Traveller and Travelling Showpeople community not only to make sure they have access to the same services as the settled community, but to reduce the risk of unauthorised or inappropriate sites being developed.
I'd urge people to read the document in full, take part in the consultation and make their views known".
The consultation runs until midnight on 5 July. Comments can be made online atwww.swdevelopmentplan.org. Paper copies of the proposals are available from libraries in Tenbury, Upton, Malvern, Pershore, Evesham, Droitwich, Broadway, St Johns, Warndon and The Hive.
A public briefing is being held on Tuesday 25 May at 6.30pm on Zoom. For the joining details please email