As it now appears unlikely that the proposed traveller site at Tansley will go ahead, Sarah Dines MP is calling on the District Council to address this issue immediately.
Sarah Dines said, ‘I have called on the District Council to take a proactive and vigorous approach to finding a Traveller site in Derbyshire Dales.
As it is now unlikely that the Tansley Traveller site will be approved, it is even more vital that the Council make a renewed and immediate effort to find a permanent traveller site, with temporary pitches available. We can all agree that this issue has gone on far too long and unfortunately the council are failing residents and the traveller community alike by not providing a site.
Derbyshire Dales have a statutory obligation to provide a suitable permanent site for Travellers as outlined in the Local Plan.
I appreciate that this is a highly emotive topic, and many constituents have very strong opinions on where the Traveller site should be placed. It is the Council’s statutory duty to find a permanent site for the Travellers and it is clear this issue has gone on much too long. That is why I am urging the Council to take proactive action and to publicly advertise for available land as soon as possible. We need to assist not only with those traveller families we have a local duty to, but also have provision on the same site for the transient traveller population, so that illegal encampments, like that the one recently in Bakewell do not occur. If any residents know of an appropriate site, please do contact the council as soon as possible.
On 20 March 2022 the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities launched £10 million of capital funding for 2022/23 to support local authorities in building new transit and permanent traveller sites, to refurbish existing permanent traveller and transit sites and provide temporary stopping places and facilities for travellers. Funding is available to local authorities in England for building new or improved accommodation for travellers who have their needs assessed under the Planning Policy for Traveller Sites or the National Planning Policy Framework. It can also be used for the provision of temporary stopping places. I wrote to the Council in March and again this week to urge them to apply for this funding, which is designed to help areas such as ours.’
