Frustration at number of unauthorised gypsy and traveller developments in Chichester area

The matter was raised during a meeting of the district council’s overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday (March 22).

During a discussion about the work of the planning enforcement team, David Palmer (Con, Lavant) reported that, as of February 10, there were 46 ongoing investigations into such developments.

Speaking about the ‘progress or lack of it’ when it came to dealing with such sites, he said: “The impression I have is that, for all the hard work [of the enforcement team], net-net at the moment we are losing to unauthorised gypsy and traveller development.”

Mr Palmer told the meeting that there were as many as 90 gypsy and traveller sites in the West Ashling area, estimating that some 40 of them were unauthorised.

It was a concern shared by Norma Graves (Con, Fernhurst), who described how the number of unauthorised sites had increased over the years.

She said: “Somehow or other the legislation hasn’t allowed us to actually ensure that this doesn’t go out of all proportion.

“It’s essential that we take hold of it now and very much go forward and see exactly what’s happening and make sure it doesn’t grow any more.

“Because it’s just absolutely grown so large and they just seem to do as they please.”

Enforcement manager Shona Archer told the meeting that one of the problems was that, while the need for new sites had increased, the way that need was dealt with had not really changed over the years.

She added that work being carried out by the policy team on planning enforcement as part of the Local Plan would be ‘beneficial’ – not just in regard to gypsy and traveller developments but all unauthorised developments.

Mr Palmer said: “We have got to ensure that nothing like what has happened in West Ashling over the last ten years ever happens again.

“We’ve got to have a policy which is capable of enforcing that.”

Looking at planning enforcement as a whole, a report to the committee showed that, between 2018 and 2021, the enforcement team dealt with a total of 2,127 cases.

Of these, 606 were in the South Downs National Park.

A total of 195 notices were served, ranging from temporary stop notices to breach of conditions notices to enforcement notices.

While there was no doubting the amount of work piled on the team, a report to the meeting mentioned the public’s misconception that they could essentially wave a magic wand and sort out any complaint raised.

The report added: “The council would be challenged at appeal and in court if it proceeded to formal action without first engaging with a developer/transgressor.

“To do so may also lead to an award

of costs against the council, as the possibility of voluntary compliance should be explored in the first instance.”

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