Call for Sites - meeting the needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

Closes 26 Jan 2026

Opened 2 Dec 2025

Overview

This ‘Call for Sites’, from West Northamptonshire Council, is for you to make suggestions for site locations where development, to meet the needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople, should be considered within the West Northamptonshire Local Plan area up to 2043.

The Local Plan includes proposed site allocations for housing and/or economic development. We are also looking to make suitable provision to meet the needs of Gypsies, Travellers and travelling Showpeople and are seeking proposals for potential traveller sites of any scale.

If you have already submitted site proposals as part of the previous call for sites undertaken during earlier consultations on the West Northamptonshire Local Plan, then there is no need to resubmit them unless you wish to provide updated or additional information.

More Information

Why are you running a Call for Sites for Gypsy, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople?

The Council have a responsibility to assess the accommodation needs of all people living in its area. This includes allocating sufficient sites to meet the needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople.  To assist in understanding these needs the Council recently commissioned an updated Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Needs Assessment (GTANA), which sets out the need for new pitches / plots from 2025 - 2043.

The Council are now undertaking work to identify a supply of sites sufficient to meet the accommodation needs identified in the GTANA, for consideration as part of the Local Plan.

As part of this we are now asking landowners and interested parties to put forward land that they think is suitable for this use. Submitting a site is not the same as applying for planning permission, but any sites which are submitted will be assessed for their suitability and facilitate the Council's decision making. Planning permission would still need to be applied for, but if a site is allocated then it has been identified as acceptable for the use in principle.

Who are Gypsies and Travellers?

For the purposes of the planning system the government’s Planning policy for traveller sites (PPTS 2024) includes a definition of Gypsies and Travellers as set out below:

Persons of nomadic habit of life whatever their race or origin, including such persons who on grounds only of their own or their family’s or dependants’ educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, and all other persons with a cultural tradition of nomadism or of living in a caravan, but excluding members of an organised group of travelling showpeople or circus people travelling together as such. 

The definition of Travelling Showpeople in the PPTS was amended in 2023 with the word 'permanently' inserted after 'temporarily'. This remains the definition in the PPTS 2024 which is as follows:

Members of a group organised for the purposes of holding fairs, circuses or shows (whether or not travelling together as such). This includes such persons who on the grounds of their own or their family’s or dependants’ more localised pattern of trading, educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily or permanently, but excludes Gypsies and Travellers as defined above.

What is a Gypsy and Traveller pitch and how big is it?

The actual size of a pitch varies but is a space of land big enough to provide for one household. This may vary depending on the size of the household in a similar way to housing for the settled community, but generally means enough room for an amenity block and pitches.  

How to submit a Site

To submit a site, download and complete the Call for Sites Form (PDF239KB, opens in a new window). You will also find a Microsoft Word version in the “Related” section at the bottom of this page. Please download the form that works best for you, fill it in, and send it back to us long with a map showing where the site is and what land it includes. You don’t need to complete every section of the form, just fill in as much as you can.

The submissions can be returned by email or post using our contact details below.

If you need assistance to complete the form or, would like a copy of it in another format, or respond via an alternative method our contact details are as follows: 

Email:  localplan@westnorthants.gov.uk 

Postal address: 

  • Planning Policy Team
  • West Northamptonshire Council
  • One Angel Square (Service Yard)
  • Angel Street
  • Northampton
  • NN1 1ED

What happens when I put a site forward?

Submission of a site as part of this Call for Sites does not mean that it will be accepted. All sites that meet the minimum criteria will be carefully assessed considering policy and environmental constraints including flood risk, in the same way that housing sites are considered. Even if a site is finally allocated through the Local Plan, planning permission must be sought before any development takes place

Data Protection Policy:

Any personal Information you provide will be held and processed in accordance with the obligations and principles of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 and in accordance with West Northamptonshire Council's Privacy Policy and Data Protection Notification with the Information Commissioner's Office (No. ZA896620). 

Please note that it is not possible for representations to be considered anonymously. Representations will be published on the Council’s website but address and contact details will be removed.

The information you provide will only be used for this consultation, the associated housing and economic land availability assessments, and, with your consent, to advise you of other consultations.

This call for sites will close 23:59 on Monday 26 January 2026

Call for site form (PDF, 239KB, opens in new window)

Interests

  • Engagement activities