Maidstone is committed to meeting the housing needs of the Borough’s Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople communities in a sustainable way. This includes promoting an integrated co-existence between existing and future sites and wider local communities; balancing the needs of all communities whilst protecting the borough’s natural and built environment.
The Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document (GT DPD) will form part of the Maidstone Development Plan. It will set out the spatial strategy and strategic policies for meeting Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation needs over the plan period by identifying, safeguarding and allocating sites within the borough. It will also include more detailed site allocation policies and development management policies to be used in assessing applications for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation.
Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document - Preferred Approaches (Regulation 18b)
This second public consultation set out the Council’s direction of travel i.e. the ‘preferred approaches’, and also the reasonable alternatives being considered. In some instances, the preferred policies were more fully formed whilst in others the policies were more indicative in nature. There were no sites identified or allocated at this stage, as we were seeking views on the spatial strategy approach before committing to identifying sites.
Importantly, this is not the final Plan. The consultation provided an opportunity to influence the approaches we intend to take before the next consultation stage.
The Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document – Preferred Approaches (Regulation 18b) Consultation document is available to view here: Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document – Preferred Approaches Consultation document (PDF)
Sustainability Appraisal
The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations (2004) requires that all Development Plan Documents are subject to a Sustainability Appraisal. This is reiterated in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Sustainability Appraisal is required to consider and communicate the key sustainability issues and effects of emerging policies and any reasonable alternatives.
The Sustainability Appraisal is an iterative process which runs alongside the development of a plan and informs the ongoing decision-making process. The Sustainability Appraisal is available to view here: Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document – Sustainability Appraisal Report (PDF)
Consultation responses
Consultation on the Regulation 18b - Preferred Approaches Document and accompanying Sustainability Appraisal closed at 5pm, on 12th December 2024. Responses can be viewed here: Preferred Approaches (Regulation 18b) Consultation Responses
Publicity for the consultation is in line with the regulations, along with the Council's published Statement of Community Involvement.
All consultation comments have been made publicly available on the consultation portals so that interested parties can view all the responses that have been received. (https://maidstone.objective.co.uk/portal) (https://letstalkmaidstone.uk.engagementhq.com/). Published information includes the comment and responder name, where given. All demographic and contact data will be removed. All data is processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The consultation responses will be used to inform the next stages of the Development Plan Document.
Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA)
Sustainability Appraisal
Habitat Regulations Assessment
Equality Impact Assessment
Topic Papers
Two targeted Call for Sites exercises have taken place; the first between Tuesday 1st February and Thursday 31st March 2022 and the second between Tuesday 28th February and Monday 17th April 2023.
The purpose of a Call for Sites exercise is to identify potential new sites so that the accommodation needs of local communities can be adequately and appropriately addressed. Importantly, submitting a site through the Call for Sites does not mean that it will prove suitable for inclusion in the Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople DPD, or that it will get planning permission in the future.
The Council is currently assessing all of the sites received for their suitability for inclusion in the DPD. In the meantime, we have made all of the responses received available on our website.
The Statement of Community Involvement 2020 sets out when and how stakeholders and the local community can get involved in the preparation of local plans, neighbourhood development plans and supplementary planning documents, and be involved in the process of decision making on planning applications.
We're required by government to prepare and maintain Local Development Scheme (LDS) in accordance with Section 15 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011). The LDS sets out the timetable for the delivery of planning policy documents like our Local Plan.
The Local Development Scheme 2025-2027 was approved by Full Council on 19 February 2025 and took effect the same day. It reflects amendments to the timings of the Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document.
Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople DPD – Scoping, Issues and Options consultation (Regulation 18a)
The preparation of a Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document (DPD) is underway. As a first step, we prepared a Scoping, Issues and Options document which provided background on both the current and potential future provision of Gypsy and Traveller pitches and Travelling Showpeople plots in the borough. We asked for your views on these matters and what sort of planning matters our policies should address.
The Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document – Scoping, Issues & Options (Regulation 18a) consultation ran from 9.30am on Tuesday 28th February 2023 to 5.00pm on Monday 17th April 2023.
Consultation responses
https://maidstone.objective.co.uk/portal
All consultation comments are publicly available on the consultation portal. Interested parties can view all the responses that have been received. Published information includes the comment and responder name. All demographic and contact data is removed. All data is processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.
The consultation responses will be used to inform the next stages of the Development Plan Document.