Gypsy and Traveller accommodation
The Mayor is working with councils, housing associations, the Government and others to make sure that London’s homes and neighbourhoods meet its diverse housing needs. This includes accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers.
The Mayor is supporting better provision of suitable accommodation for this community in the following ways:
- Using his London Plan to outline the requirements for London boroughs to plan to meet the identified need for Gypsy and Traveller pitches
- Providing capital grant funding to local authorities to remodel existing pitches/sites or build new ones through his Affordable Homes Programmes
- Supporting research into the potential of making use of a negotiated stopping approach in London to reduce the number of unauthorised developments and encampments in the capital.
For information and links to support during the coronavirus pandemic see our FAQs.
The London Plan
The London Plan requires boroughs to plan to meet the identified need for permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches. It also requires that boroughs undertake an audit of existing local authority provided pitches and sites and plan to address any issues identified by the audit. Finally, the Plan requires boroughs to plan to protect existing pitches and sites.
Affordable Homes Programme funding
Having secured more than £4.8 billon from the Government, the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme provides funding to London boroughs, housing associations, and private developers to help start building at least 116,000 affordable homes by 2022.
Capital funding is being made available through the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme to help remodel existing Gypsy and Traveller sites and pitches in need of refurbishment or build new sites. The Mayor is encouraging all London boroughs to make use of this funding for their Gypsy and Traveller accommodation. To find out how you can access this funding, contact your dedicated Homes for Londoners Area Manager.
Negotiated stopping research
In 2018, the Mayor provided funding to London Gypsies and Travellers and DeMontfort University to conduct research into how a negotiated stopping approach might work in London.
Negotiated stopping is a more balanced approach to managing unauthorised encampments based on a mutual agreement between the local authority and Gypsy and Traveller families on matters such as correct waste disposal and basic temporary facilities. Following a pilot implemented in Leeds, the approach was found to save the local authority and police up to £230,000 annually as well as promote community cohesion.
This research has now been published and is available on the London Gypsies and Travellers website.
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