Despite confusing media reports, the gypsy site proposals for the Core Strategy has not changed. Using North Tyneside councils own data of recorded unauthorised travellers/gypsy encampments since 2004, we have plotted the visits on the Core Strategy map

The Core Strategy preferred search area is shown on the map by a yellow dotted line. The council Core Strategy proposals are to not look anywhere else to build the Gypsy site other than in the "search area"; that is unless the Core Strategy is changed

Council reasons for selection of the A19 and Sandy Lane search areas

North Tyneside Council are required to base their selections on sound evidence, however, the evidence the council has presented does not support the conclusions the council planners have put forward. The council say "There is evidence, from past recorded unauthorised encampments, that locations close to the main trunk road network (A19/A1056)(Sandy Lane) are favoured by Gypsies."

Crucially, the view that travellers/gypsies prefer the locations of unauthorised encampments for an authorised site is not supported by the evidence put forward by the council!

North Tyneside Council say, "There is evidence, from past recorded unauthorised encampments, that locations close to the main trunk road network (A19/A1056)(Sandy Lane) are favoured by Gypsies." and " The potential location would in terms of good accessibility and ease of movement from one area to another, assist a transient lifestyle."
[source: Core Strategy Preferred Options (2010) - 10.2.13 Table 16]

 

North Tyneside Council say:

"(Gypsy) Site investigations are continuing on potential locations/sites and the evidence base is being further developed. However, at this time work is not sufficiently advanced to identify a specific preferred site." [CSPO 10.2.12]

The essential criteria the council will apply (preferred option 17) to the selection of land for a gypsy/travellers site is:

• Site is not in the Green Belt. [from UDP H14]
• Adequate provision could be made for vehicular access from the highway network, parking and circulation [from UDP H14]
• Site services could be made available [from UDP H14]
• Site is not subject to flooding [*NEW Requirement]
• No conflict with statutory undertakers or agricultural interests [from UDP H14]
• Site has accessibility to education, health and other social facilities [*NEW Requirement]
• Site does not have an adverse amenity or environmental impact. [from UDP H14]

"All of the above criteria are essential for site selection and so constitute the preferred option"
[source: Core Strategy Preferred Options (2010) - 10.2.12 Table 15]

 

There is no clear reason why the whole of the A19 Corridor has been proposed as a search area as the previous visits do not support this. The search area should be drastically reduced to the southern end of the current A19 search area (supported by the number of previous visits in this area). A search area in the Whitley Bay area should be put forward for consideration.

Less than one third of all unauthorised sites actually fall within the proposed search area, a few are close to the search area but not within it. Bearing in mind the Council proposal is to look for land to build the gypsy site that MUST be within the search area - the council is ignoring some of the sites, which by its own rationale the Gypsy/Travellers may actually prefer.

 

Locations of previous unauthorised Gypsy/Traveller sites in North Tyneside

This is a list of unauthorised Gypsy/Traveller encampments since 2004 in North Tyneside from data provided by the council.

• Land at East Howdon - 25/05/04
• Land at East Howdon - 08/06/04
• Land at Benton Lane West Moor - 13/9/04
• Land at East Howdon - 8/9/05
• Land at Sandy Lane Wideopen - 19/10/05
• Land at Silverfox Way New York - 15/12/05
• Land at Wallsend Road North Shields - 27/4/06
• Land at East Howdon - 16/5/06
• Land at Wallsend Road North Shields - 2/7/06
• Land at Neptune Road Wallsend - 31/8/06
• Land at Ecclestone Close Backworth – 05/04/07
• Flatworth Playing Fields North Shields – 06/06/07
• Briardene Car Park Whitley Bay – 14/08/07
• Eccleston Close Backworth –28/11/07
• Land at Eccleston Close Backworth – 05/08/08
• Trinity Road Whitley Bay - 7/11/08
• Benton Lane West Moor –02/01/09
• Eccleston Close Backworth –27/01/09
• Land at Flatworth Playing Fields –21/05/10
• Land at Birchwood Avenue Wideopen – 27/05/10
• Land at Flatworth Playing Fields – 14/06/10

The council is required to log all known unauthorised gypsy/traveller encampments, however, the information the council has published and supplied in response to FOI requests does not match the information from the 2009 GTAA (Gypsy Traveller Needs Assessment).

North Tyneside Council claim that there were 21 unauthorised encampments for the six years 2004 to 2010, however, the 2009 GTAA (8.8 - Table 17) shows 28 unauthorised encampments in just three years between 2005 and 2007 (average 9 per year).

The requirement for a 9 pitch traveller site is determined by the 2009 GTAA (21.45 and 15.13 table 30), by reference to the number of unauthorised encampments (along with a factor for household growth).

 

The council has not provided any real evidence to substantiate their CSPO travellers site search area claims. All the council has done is presented a list of unauthorised sites and postulated that Gypsies prefer these 33% of locations and conversely don't prefer the other 66%.

The Council CSPO preference for the A19 corridor/Sandy Lane for the travellers site means the council will not look to build the travellers site at other places such as Killingworth, Murton or Whitley Bay.

The council have not even asked travellers where they prefer the authorised site to be located - given a choice would you prefer to be living next to the Tyne Tunnel SITA Waste management site, by the coast at Whitley Bay or next to the green fields at Killingworth ?