A Nottinghamshire council has set out the patches of land where it is planning to base dozens of homes for the Gypsy and Traveller community. Newark and Sherwood District Council is required to provide at least 118 pitches up until 2033 and it has now set out its proposed sites.
Most new pitches will be provided at an existing site on Tolney Lane in Newark, whilst flood mitigation works will take place there to improve its safety. Other pitches are planned on existing sites in Ollerton, Chestnut Lodge in Barnby-in-the-Willows, land north of Winthorpe Road in Newark, Appleby Lodge on Barnby Road in Newark and the former Belvoir Iron works in Newark.
John Robinson, Chief Executive of Newark and Sherwood Council said: "Planning to meet the housing needs of our local population is one of our most important responsibilities. Very often it is extremely challenging to find suitable housing sites that balance the needs of current and future populations but it’s important that we don’t duck this challenge. In the same way that we plan to provide homes for our wider community, we also need to plan for our long-established Gypsy and Traveller community, including making them safer at times of flooding."
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The council said that some of the proposed sites require further negotations with landowners and the allocation of funding from the Government. Members of the public can comment on the council's plan from Monday (November 14).
John Robinson added: "While the plan recognises the continued importance of our current Gypsy and Traveller sites, they are unable alone to accommodate all the additional pitches that are required to provide homes for people to live in. This means that alternative sites have to be found. If we don't do this we let down our whole community, leaving ourselves less able to resist and deal with unauthorised encampments."
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