• To avoid disputes and provide defensible space, it is important toprovide clear delineation of public and private space, and boundaries that indicate where individual pitches begin and end. • It is recommended that local needs and preferences are taken into account, as well as the requirements of the local highways authority, when designing the entrance to the site. Many Gypsies and Travellers are in favour of controlled access to sites, for example using a lockable gate. Their experience has been that such controls can prevent unauthorised parking and unauthorised caravans being pitched on the site. However, the presence of such gates can sometimes act as a psychological barrier to effective social inclusion. • Many Gypsies and Travellers express a strong preference for soft landscaping (for example grassed areas, shrubs and trees) as opposed to hard landscaping such as paved or concreted areas. However, when designing to include soft landscaping, consideration needs to be given to preventing this from being used for unauthorised parking or unauthorised pitching of caravans. • To ensure fire safety, every trailer, caravan or park home must be not less than 6 metres from any other trailer, caravan or park home that is occupied separately. • Where significant commercial or other work activity is envisaged for a site (for instance the storage and maintenance of fairground equipment), the site must be delineated so that residential areas are separated from areas for commercial or work use. This also applies to the inclusion of space for keeping animals. • Site and pitch addresses must be created which are of a similar nature to those for the settled community – for instance by not highlighting that the accommodation is site based. • Arrangements must be made so that post can be delivered separately for each pitch. • Pitches must be capable of accommodating an amenity unit, large trailer, touring caravan, drying space for clothes, lockable shed (for bikes, wheelchair storage etc) and parking space for two vehicles. • In common with some other ethnic minority communities, some Gypsies and Travellers often have larger than average families, for instance where members of an extended family live together. For this reason there is likely to be much greater demand amongst these communities for large family units, and small pitches may become quickly overcrowded. Larger than average family sizes, alongside the need for vehicles for towing caravans and for employment also creates particular requirements for parking
EU-ROMA London Mapping
With the support of the culture programme. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This report reflects the views of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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