Preferred Options for Sites
(11)6. Criteria:
6.1 In assessing this list of sites, the council has applied consistent criteria. The criteria that are included in the emerging policy for the provision of sites for Gypsies and Travellers and by which consultees were asked to consider their choices of sites to promote to the next stage of the plan, are as follows:
| 1 | Convenient access to a GP surgery, school, and public transport |
| 2 | Avoiding areas with a high risk of flooding |
| 3 | Safe access to the road network and provision for parking, turning and servicing on site |
| 4 | Avoiding areas where there is the potential for noise and other disturbance |
| 5 | Provision of utilities (running water, toilet facilities, waste disposal, etc) |
| 6 | Avoiding areas where there could be adverse impact on important features of the natural and historic environment |
| 7 | Sites which can be integrated into the landscape without harming the character of the area. Site development will accord with national guidance on site design and facility provision |
| 8 | Promotes peaceful and integrated co-existence between the site and the local community |
| 9 | Avoids placing undue pressure on local infrastructure and services |
| 10 | Reflects the extent to which traditional lifestyles (whereby some travellers live and work-from the same location thereby omitting many travel to work journeys) can contribute to sustainability |
6.2 In addition, some of these factors have to be looked at in greater detail to ensure that all environmental factors are taken into account when reducing the list of sites to a ‘Preferred Option’ for further consultation, in particular, Criteria 6 which has a number of elements to consider. The assessment of sites has therefore been undertaken using the following 19 headings:
| 1 | Landscape character |
| 2 | Nature conservation designation |
| 3 | Historical designation |
| 4 | Infrastructure requirements |
| 5 | Ecology |
| 6 | Flooding |
| 7 | Contamination and other constraints |
| 8 | Agricultural land quality |
| 9 | How visible and open in character is the site? |
| 10 | Can the site be visually screened adequately? |
| 11 | Is the site close to other residential property? |
| 12 | How far away is the primary road network? |
| 13 | Distance to GP surgeries, schools, dentists, hospitals, shops, community facilities? |
| 14 | Is the potential site on previously developed land? |
| 15 | Access issues |
| 16 | Level site |
| 17 | Suitable size |
| 18 | Availability |
| 19 | Deliverability |
6.3 As a result of much additional work to ascertain which are the better sites to progress to the next stage of consultation, a short-list has been prepared. The following table shows all of the original sites, areas of search and sites suggested through the consultation (44 in all) and colour codes them according to their suitability.
Red = Not suitable
Amber
= Possibly suitable depending on a number of factors, such as information still
to be received and assessed
Green
= Suitable at this stage for further public consultation and comment To explain
in a little more detail:
Red sites have been excluded on the basis that there are negative factors affecting the site that cannot be remediated against or changed to make them acceptable. For example, where there is no way of creating an acceptable and safe access or where the site is in Flood Zone 3 which is the floodplain.
Amber sites have been short listed as they could be made suitable if some fairly major changes were made. For example, if a third party could be persuaded to allow access over their land or where more information about the nature of the contamination would allow further consideration of the site.
Green sites are those where the majority of the criteria can be met and where the site is not in the green belt or is previously developed land or has the support of the landowner. These are the sites which are considered, after careful analysis and advice from specialists, to be the most suitable.
Each site has a short commentary to summarise the basic reasons for categorisation. It is the green and amber sites on which we would like to hear your views and comments.