Somerset Council is considering allocating new sites for gypsy and travellers in its forthcoming Local Plan, in hopes of reducing the frequency of unauthorised encampments across the county. Recent incidents—including a notable encampment at Stoney Furlong Field near Lyngford Park Primary School in Taunton—have brought the issue to the forefront for local authorities.
Since the start of the year, Taunton Town Council estimates it has incurred around £20,000 in legal fees to remove travellers from public parks and other areas, a figure expected to rise once cleanup costs are included. In response, Somerset Council’s upcoming Local Plan, anticipated to be effective by early 2029, will conduct a detailed assessment of the demand for gypsy and traveller pitches across the region and may allocate new sites accordingly.
This comprehensive plan will unify existing district policies across the Somerset Council jurisdiction, excluding Exmoor National Park which maintains its own planning framework. Until the new Local Plan gains approval from the Planning Inspectorate in March 2029—following community consultations and a public inquiry—the existing planning policies remain legally binding.
READ MORE: Live: Crash Causes Traffic Delays on A303 Near Stonehenge
However, the council’s struggle to maintain a five-year housing land supply, worsened by increased government housing targets and environmental constraints like the phosphates mitigation requirements for the Somerset Levels and Moors, means some developments could be approved despite conflicting with current policies to address urgent housing needs.
A council spokesperson explained that while the allocation policy for council-owned pitches is already in place and independent of the new Local Plan, the forthcoming plan will incorporate specific policies addressing the accommodation needs of the gypsy and traveller communities. This will include targets for permanent and transit sites to better support these groups.
Efforts are also underway to secure permanent transit sites, with a number of existing privately and council-owned gypsy and traveller sites dispersed throughout Somerset. Meanwhile, the council has yet to disclose information relating to the total cost of removing unauthorised traveller encampments over the past five years, pending a freedom of information request.