The Council's core strategy will be used to guide future planning decisions. Any proposed
travellers site falling within the preferred "search area" will be preferred for planning
approval. By the same token, planning applications for traveller sites outside the "preferred area"
will likely be refused as not in accordance with the "core strategy" (traveller site development
elsewhere in North Tyneside has already been rejected as part of the core strategy consultation).
There are many locations across North Tyneside capable of accommodating a travellers site but oddly not included in
the preferred options "search area". This is puzzling and can only lead to two possibilities;
either North Tyneside Council have an uncanny gift of knowing the best places to "search" this being the
A19 corridor and a small part of Sandy Lane, or North Tyneside Council have an eye on suitable sites already.
you can spend ten minutes on google maps searching the entire A19 corridor for suitable sites - Clearly this
is not really a "search area" but a preferred area.
If the preferred travellers site "Search Area" remains in the North Tyneside core strategy
it will remain there for the next 17 years. This will inevitably lead to uncertainty, not just of
the location of the existing requirement 9 pitch site, but also any future expansions needs.
The planning criteria for selection of a suitable travellers site is set out in the core strategy
(10.2 preferred housing sites) option 17, these criteria would apply to the acceptance of any
suitable site within North Tyneside, i.e. Normal planning considerations apply to the whole of North
Tyneside. Peculiarly option 18a (Table 16) rejects options 17, however, option 18b (the "preferred
option") is to seek a site on the A19 or Sandy Lane using the criteria set down in the rejected
option 17. The reason the council give for this decision is twofold, 1) Gypsies favour places they've
had unauthorised camps in the past and 2) the "potential location would in terms of good
accessibility and ease of movement from one area to another, assist a transient lifestyle."
(read: Gypsies like roads because they travel on them).
Option 18 should not be in the plan at all, Option 17 is the preferred option but paradoxically
made impotent by option 18a's rejection of it. The reasons given for option 18b as preferred over 18a
(restriction to Sandy Lane/A19) are illogical there is no direct correlation with preferred Gypsy site
locations and the locations of previous unauthorised camps. Unauthorised camps could be the first
location the gypsies found suitable to camp or even the only place - suitability does not equate to
preference. With regards to the 2nd reason (simplified 'gypsies like roads'), a car and caravan can
easily access any part of North Tyneside.
North Tyneside Council have already rejected looking elsewhere for a Travellers site, the reasons
North Tyneside Council has given for doing this are artificial and clearly intended to keep any
travellers sites away from Killingworth or other "choice" areas of North Tyneside. If
North Tyneside Council establish area's of search these should be properly defined based on
identified location requirements either from the GTAA or national guidelines.
North Tyneside Council has a legal obligation to provide an official travellers site, it should
not restrict its consideration to a limited and arbitrary "Search Area", particularly
a search area comprised almost entirely of unwanted or undevelopable land. North Tyneside Council
should apply the guidance in ODPM Circular 01/2006 to it's selection of search areas
and follow a more sensible search area selection criteria, similar to that followed by other
Council's (such as Wiltshire Council,
whose search criteria is more comprehensive and truly reflective of traveller's needs.
There is no reason for North Tyneside Council to restrict the "area of search" to Sandy
Lane (adjacent the proposed executive housing development at site 69) and the A19 corridor. The council
should consider any potential travel sites on planning merits detailed in option 17 alone (option 18a).
