Guidance for designing Gypsy and Traveller sites - Chapter 4: site facilities

This chapter outlines various facilities which should be factored into the design of a local authority site.

Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) gives all children the right to rest, leisure and play. It is very important that local authorities consider how they can give effect to this right when designing sites and understand the necessity for safe and accessible play spaces.

Due to the limited indoor space in mobile homes, the outdoor environment is essential to Gypsy and Traveller families and their children. An area for children and young people to play and gather is vital, especially if there is no suitable play area in the wider community which is within safe walking distance. Each site needs to be considered individually and in the context of local conditions. Ideally, children living on site will be able to safely access nearby existing play areas utilised by the wider community. However, where this is not possible, sites should include designated play areas whenever practicable.

Where site layout allows, communal play areas should be positioned to enable parents to easily supervise their children. The area allocated for children’s play must take into account the number of children it is likely to need to accommodate. Fields in Trust have recommended a minimum standard for outdoor playing spaces in their ‘Planning and Design for Outdoor Sport and Play’ guidance. This guidance helps land use planners to ensure a sufficient level of open space to allow residents of all ages to participate in sports and games with an emphasis on access for children to playgrounds and other play space.

Play areas should be located away from traffic and should be inaccessible to vehicles. They should also be fenced, walled or enclosed in grassed embankments and clearly delineated as a play area. Play areas should be well lit and, where practicable, designated as dog free areas. The designated play area should be flexible, adaptable, varied and interesting. Providing features such as shrubs or sand will promote good quality play.

A youth shelter or other form of seating should also be included to promote socialising and maximise the use of the play area. The provision of play equipment should be carefully thought out and consultation with children is recommended. Play areas can include open spaces and fixed apparatus. It is very important to ensure any designated play space is clearly differentiated from residential or working space and it should be maintained by the local authority to ensure it is not used for other purposes.

Local authorities must undertake Play Sufficiency Assessments as required by the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 and associated regulations. These assessments relate to the sufficiency of the play opportunities in each local authority area and must include an action plan for improving (or maintaining) the opportunities for children to play. Local authorities are required to publish information on the play opportunities for children within their area, including local authority sites where appropriate.

On smaller sites or where physical restrictions will not allow for a communal play area within the site boundaries, consideration could be given to providing small, visible play areas located near to individual pitches.

Play Wales and TGP Cymru’s Travelling Ahead project have created a good practice guide to support local authorities to develop play spaces on their Gypsy and Traveller sites.

On larger sites, including a culturally appropriate communal building will help reflect the values of Gypsy and Traveller communities by supporting intergenerational living, communal activities that can be used for outreach and support work, youth clubs, playgroups, quiet space for children doing homework, adult education, early years’ sessions or health clinics.

Its design should be discussed with site residents where practicable.

Running costs for such a facility could potentially be met through charging statutory and voluntary organisations for use of the facilities or through local action by the residents in the same way many village halls are administered as Trusts. It may also be possible to meet the running costs through pitch fees, subject to the local authority following the procedures to implement this, as required under the Mobile Homes (Wales) Act 2013.

Where a permanent community facility is not feasible on a site, consideration could be given to the provision of a mobile unit which could be used for early years’ engagement purposes. The advantage of such a unit is it can be moved from one location to another. A suitable and safe location should be identified for any mobile unit. Where a mobile unit is not feasible, the site manager should facilitate discussions between residents and service providers to try to agree a mutually convenient location for use by the residents.

Alternatively, nearby community facilities should be used where possible. Again, local authorities should consider ways to ensure safe access routes from the site to the community facility.

A site office is important, particularly on larger sites. The office should be located close to the entrance of the site and support private consultations with visiting professionals. Communal facilities and the site office may be housed within the same building, although the confidentiality of residents must be ensured where this occurs.

If a site manager / warden is provided with their own pitch to live on the site, they should be provided with a separate site office to their home.

Roads, communal footpaths and pavements must be adequately lit between dusk and dawn to allow the safe movement of pedestrians and vehicles around the site during the hours of darkness. The location of street lighting should not cause light pollution by shining directly into caravans or amenity buildings but should be suitable for the density and overall layout of the site. Play areas for children should receive special attention in terms of appropriate lighting.

Gypsies and Travellers are more likely to be self-employed. This should be taken into account when designing pitches. For example, residents and may need to park commercial vehicles on their pitch.

However, pitches should be primarily for residential purposes. Potentially hazardous activity on pitches should be prohibited under the terms of mobile home agreements with residents. Examples of potentially hazardous activities include storing scrap metal materials on a pitch and undertaking other commercial activities. Such activities on any areas within a site which are not designated for work purposes can lead to health and safety, pollution and environmental concerns.

Local authorities may wish to consider the provision of a designated ‘working space’ in a segregated part of the site or on adjacent land, where practicable, and following discussions with potential residents. For example, Showpeople sites are likely to require separate facilities for the storage and maintenance of fairground rides. An example site layout is included in Annex 2.

Community members should also be encouraged to pursue private leasing agreements for nearby space or facilities, where required. Local authorities with relevant commercial land for rent should make these available to such residents where practicable.

Residents should not be prevented from undertaking non-hazardous home work, such as teleworking, from their mobile homes.

Including artistic features on site could be an ideal opportunity for existing residents or potential residents to celebrate Gypsy and Traveller culture and identity. If this is to be considered, consultation with existing or potential residents should take place at an early stage where possible. This may also be a good opportunity to encourage Gypsy and Traveller children to become involved in the design and development of artistic features on site, particularly if there is a children’s play area.

Each pitch must have a mains water supply suitable for drinking and sufficient to meet the reasonable needs of residents. The water supply must comply with relevant legislation and standards.

Water supplies must feed directly into individual amenity blocks. To support affordability and fair billing, individual meters should be installed for each pitch where possible to ensure billing can relate directly to actual usage. The relevant water company may allow individual connections for each new pitch, subject to meeting the water company’s criteria. Outside taps and hook up points for caravans should be provided on each pitch with internal isolation valves and suitable backflow protection for security of the water supply, in accordance with The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016.

To ensure the water supply can meet required quality standards, the local authority should consult directly with the relevant water company regarding the proposed site design, where practicable. The relevant water company may be able to provide advice to ensure appropriate infrastructure can be installed.

Work on water supplies and installations must be carried out only by persons who are qualified in the particular type of work being undertaken and must be in accordance with current relevant legislation.

Communal taps should be avoided where possible to ensure residents can be appropriately billed for their own water use. If communal taps are installed, the responsibility for payment for this supply will rest with the local authority, unless suitable provision is made in mobile home agreements.

It is essential that surface water drainage is provided. The use of sustainable drainage (SuDS) should always be considered for the management of surface water when new sites are being developed. The SuDS approach aims to manage surface water as close to source as possible using a wide range of techniques, including rainwater harvesting and infiltration where appropriate. These techniques should reduce water consumption and customer bills.

All provision must comply with relevant legislation and standards and should take account of the Welsh Government Interim Standards for Sustainable Drainage. Surface water management should be given early consideration in the site design. This will need to meet the requirements of the Suds Approval Body (SAB) and be prepared in parallel with a planning application to ensure, if granted, the permission can be delivered and satisfy any SUDs requirements.

Where possible, connection to a public sewer must be made for foul drainage.

The relevant water company should be consulted regarding construction standards and sewer capacity, where practicable. A connection to a public sewer will not always be possible. In such circumstances, provision should be made for discharge to a properly constructed and maintained sewage treatment facility, either a sewage treatment plant or a septic tank. Provision must comply with relevant legislation and standards and a permit will be required for the discharge from Natural Resources Wales. Sealed cess-pits or cess pools are not considered to be appropriate.

All provision and services of gas must comply with statutory requirements, relevant standards and codes of practice. All storage facilities provided for Liquid Propane Gas cylinders must meet health and safety regulations. It is the responsibility of the local authority and site managers to seek guidance from local environmental health services in relation to gas supply and the maintenance and inspection of services and facilities.

To alleviate the financial and practical challenges faced by residents on local authority sites without direct mains connections, where families have to depend on gas bottles and prepayment meters, it is recommended that local authorities seek to ensure these sites are connected to direct mains services whenever possible. This can help avoid the higher costs associated with utilities being charged at commercial rates, such as expensive gas bottles and higher costs through prepayment meters.

Residents should have a secure post box accessed by a key held by them. Where possible, post boxes should be installed on individual pitches so that residents do not have to collect their post from a site office (except where they are not at home to accept a delivery or there is a delivery of a large parcel or package which cannot be delivered through the post box).

Where delivery to individual pitches is not possible for any reason, a ‘pigeon hole’ system near the entrance to the site or on the site office wall should be considered. This must have lockable individual boxes for each pitch.

Local authorities may consider providing grazing land adjacent to sites, where possible, as horse ownership is an important aspect of Romani Gypsy and Irish Traveller culture.

Where local authorities can provide grazing land, they may charge residents a reasonable fee for its use. The land should have a secure boundary and gates.

Given the cultural importance of horse keeping and the discrimination faced in accessing grazing land, local authorities are encouraged to consider grazing land availability when identifying new sites and should consider offering any available land in their own estate for short-term grazing leases where possible.

Access to digital services via an online connection and the ability to use them is an essential tool of modern life. For this reason, local authorities should explore options for providing all sites with phone lines and broadband connections.

Developing or refurbishing sites could provide an opportunity to ensure the necessary communications infrastructure is installed to enable residents to make their own arrangements for landlines or internet access. Full digital access means access to a reliable internet connection, access to devices and the skills and motivation to use digital services confidently and safely. Without this, people may experience digital exclusion; a barrier often linked to other barriers such social exclusion, health and wellbeing issues and barriers to employment. For this reason, including broadband access in site design wherever possible is considered to be essential.