Thanet District Council is asking for feedback on proposals to consider creating a gypsy and traveller site on land between Shottendane Road and Caxton Road, in Garlinge.
The public consultation is open for ten weeks, from Wednesday 9 October 2024, and will close at 5pm on Tuesday 17 December 2024. Feedback can be submitted via an online survey on the council’s public engagement website, Your Voice Thanet, and is open to all members of the public.
People who live in close proximity to the potential site in Garlinge will be contacted directly, as will the Traveller Coalition and Gypsy Council who represent the gypsy and traveller community. This will be supported by additional communications to allow the wider Thanet population to respond, if they would like to.
The council has a statutory duty to consider the housing, accommodation and site needs of all sections of the community. This includes a requirement to make provision for any unmet need for gypsy and traveller pitches within its Local Plan.
The council’s Gypsy and Traveller Needs Assessment, published in 2019, identified the need for seven permanent pitches and five transit pitches in Thanet, a total of 12. A pitch is defined as providing sufficient spaces for two caravans, two vehicles and one utility block, supported by communal facilities. This need is driven entirely by the current and anticipated future needs of gypsy and traveller groups already residing in the district. The Consultation Document includes a detailed summary of the process by which the proposed site was identified.
The feedback from this initial phase of public consultation will be presented to Councillors for consideration prior to the submission of any planning application for this site. If a decision is made to submit a planning application, this would be subject to further statutory consultation.
Anyone wishing to respond to the consultation is requested to complete an online survey on Your Voice Thanet, the council’s online engagement platform. A simple registration process is required.
If there are circumstances preventing someone from completing the online survey, alternative formats, such as a paper copy or large print, can be provided upon request. They can contact Customer Services on 01843 577000 from Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 5pm, to submit a request. Please note that the Customer Services team is unable to give advice or discuss the contents of the consultation over the phone.
The full Consultation Document can be viewed on the council’s website.
