Proposed law scraps duty to assess Travellers' needs

A measure in the Housing and Planning Bill would ensure that councils “consider the needs of all the people residing in or resorting to their district, without any references to Gypsies and Travellers”, when carrying out reviews of housing needs.

A Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) spokesperson said the legislation would “make sure that sites for Travellers and Gypsies will be assessed with housing need for everyone else”.

The move follows changes to planning guidance in August, meaning those who do not travel permanently are excluded from the definition of Travellers.

Currently, local authorities are obliged to carry out Gypsy and Traveller accommodation needs assessments, which allow local authorities to forecast the number of new pitches needed.

The previous Labour government introduced the duty in 2007 guidance because general housing assessments were failing to identify the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers.

Debby Kennett, chief executive of the London Gypsy and Traveller Unit, said: “As soon as the needs of travellers are lumped together with mainstream housing needs, their particular housing needs are going to be lost [from system] completely.”

Marc Willers, a human rights barrister, said he was concerned the legislation could be “another example of the government effectively sweeping Gypsies and Travellers’ needs under the carpet”.

However, he said the full effects of the proposed change would not be fully clear until the government issued detailed planning guidance. The legislation does not change the duty on councils to identify Gypsy and Traveller sites.