Flood risk cited as reason for rejecting traveller camp plans

The Government is consulting over proposed changes to planning policy on traveller sites, and the city council has maintained most land in Hull will not be suitable because it is at such a high risk of flooding.

A report to Hull Council, which advocates “cross-authority working” to resolve the issue, said of the proposals: “The statement reiterates that caravans are highly vulnerable to flooding and sites should therefore not be located in functional flood plains or areas at a high risk of flooding. This means that a significant majority of the land area of Hull will not be suitable for sites and this will compromise the ability of the city to provide sites.

“The statement also highlights that cross-authority working may be appropriate to provide more flexibility, particularly where authorities face constraints to site provision. This is clearly the case in Hull.”

But East Riding Council has indicated it will not be in a position to take on sites that may have been destined for Hull because of difficulties in meeting its own needs.

In a recommended response that will go before East Riding’s Cabinet on Tuesday, Steve Button, the director of policy, partnerships and improvement, said: “The draft statement refers to the need for collaboration between neighbouring authorities, particularly where opportunities to allocate suitable land to meet identified needs is limited/constrained.

“This council will continue to work closely with neighbouring authorities in preparing the respective LDFs (local development frameworks) but it is unlikely that agreement will be reached on meeting additional needs from elsewhere. This is based on the fact that meeting locally generated needs is already seen as a challenging issue.”

The East Riding’s report also says the council is “very concerned” that the proposals do not address the underlying issues that prevent traveller sites becoming available. The policy would require councils to have a five-year supply of deliverable sites – which the East Riding says is not achievable.

The report said: “Although the proposal to identify a five-year supply of sites/pitches appears to be a reasonable one, as this mirrors the approach required for housing in general, officers are concerned that in practice this will not be deliverable.

“This reflects the difficulty in finding suitable sites, convincing local people about the need for such development and the funding that is required to actually provide such facilities. The response to this proposal is therefore to say that this authority does not support the introduction of a five-year requirement.”

By early next year, both councils will cater for a similar number of travellers on permanent sites. Hull has 70 pitches across four sites – two in Bedford Street, one in Bankside and another in Newington Street.

The East Riding has 40 pitches across three sites but has already begun Government-funded work to extend its provision to 64 pitches. It has 22 pitches on a site in Woodhill Way, Cottingham, and is working on significant upgrades to its two other sites.

Work is under way on a new £1.4m camp at Woldgate on the outskirts of Bridlington, which will be completed next year and replace an existing facility on the opposite side of Woldgate.

There are 18 pitches on the old site, although only 10 are in use, and the new camp will have 22 pitches and 11 amenity blocks with bathrooms and kitchens.

The Homes and Communities Agency is providing a further £1.2m for the council to double the size of its other camp in Eppleworth Road, Cottingham, to accommodate 20 pitches. The development will include a series of measures to improve the quality of life for its residents.

A local councillor said conditions at the site – which has one toilet for 10 families – were “ghastly”.