Testun llawn:
Llangan Community Council (CC) would like to object to the proposed expansion of the Traveller site at Llangan.
In July 2017 there was a meeting between Llangan Community Council, Llangan Action and the traveller family occupying the site and an agreement was reached with the VOG for vacation of the site and for the site to be transferred to the Community Council for use by the community. The current family was granted planning permission for their own private site and have mostly moved to the new location, just leaving a few family members on the original site to protect the land as requested by the VOG at the meeting. Our understanding was that the action taken by all parties fulfilled the requirements of the meeting and the land could now be transfer to the Community Council as agreed. The VOG have breached this agreement with no further discussion with the Community over the last 9 years.
Also in the opinion of the CC the site does not meet the criteria set in the VOG’s own current Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (“GTAA”) and with reference to Policy MD18 (Gypsy and Traveler Accommodation).
The access lanes is too narrow (2.5m min) and can’t be widened due to new houses built at the junction near Llangan Primary School. This could impact emergency vehicle access: the recommended access requirements for emergency vehicles is 3.7m. The alternative route through Llangan village is not suitable for emergency vehicles due to it having a weak bridge. Extending the proposal to 7 pitches on the site would further restrict the ability of emergency vehicles to manoeuvre around the site.
The fact that access is poor was recognised in the Report on the examination into the Vale of Glamorgan Local Development Plan 2011 – 2016, prepared by Richard E. Jenkins BA(Hons) MSc MRTPI, as Inspector appointed by the Welsh Ministers, dated 25 May 2017, which also found that drainage at the site was poor. The Report stated, “It is clear that access and drainage works would need to be improved for the site to meet Welsh Goverment guidance.”1 These constraints remain relevant when considering the proposed significant expansion of the site.
Site access is “unsafe” having extended walks (in excess of 800m) along unlit land with no public footpath or street lighting.
The local area cannot support an increase from 2 to 7 pitches. The site is not reasonably accessible to day-to-day services, facilities and employment, medical facilities, shops and community facilities (there are no shops, restaurants, pubs/bars in the area) and there is no public transport. Cowbridge, the nearest town, is circa 7.5km from the site which is the nearest settlement providing a range of services. As there is no public transport serving the site and no local facilities within walking distance, the location therefore conflicts with the RLDP objective of reducing the need to travel and promoting sustainable transport.
The size of the site and number of pitches proposed is not appropriate to its location and accommodation needs. It does not meet the criteria for a safe, clean, and attractive area , where individuals and communities have sustainable opportunities to improve their health, learning and skills, prosperity, and wellbeing. Where there is a strong sense of community in which local groups and individuals have the capacity and incentive to make an effective contribution to the future sustainability of the area.”
The site would not meet the standards required for social housing. The same standards apply for housing for the Gypsy and Traveller community.
The scale of the proposed number of pitches poses a real risk of escalating fear and tension within the local community, which would be contrary to encouraging and developing good relations between Gypsy Travellers and the settled community.
Notwithstanding the above, the independent inspector’s report concluded the site was only suitable for 2 pitches after reviewing all the evidence. It is not clear what has changed for the VOG to conclude that a 350% increase in the number of pitches is suitable.
Mixing families from the Gypsy and Traveller community. The Welsh Government’s approach to Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessments (GTAA) emphasizes culturally appropriate, safe, and secure accommodation that meets the needs of families, rather than dictating the forced mixing of specific family groups on sites. The guidance was updated in March 2025.
In addition to being in a designated Special Landscape Area and the site is adjacent to the Llangan Conservation Area. The RLDP background paper acknowledges the importance of protecting views and landscape character within these areas. The proposed expansion to seven pitches risks materially affecting the rural character and important views from the conservation area of Llangan.
The VOG’s previous agreement in 2017 to return the site to the community for use as an allotment is a key illustration of achieving this objective. The proposed extension of the site for 7 pitches does not promote this objective, but wholly detracts from it. Llangan does not any other land to enhance and promote community facilities and services. Further, as the VOG is aware, the Community Council is not seeking funding from the VOG for the maintenance of the site which the VOG agreed to transfer management of to the Community Council.
The fact that the VOG own the site is not a reason on its own for extending the site from 2 to 7 pitches. Further, the fact that the VOG were, through its predecessors in time, party to a lawful undertaking to clear the site and return it to its previous agricultural status, coupled with the VOG’s agreement to transfer the management of the site to the Community Council is evidence of a competing obligation in law for the use of the site.
For the reasons set out above, the allocation of the site at Llangan for additional Gypsy and Traveller pitches is not justified and is inconsistent with the Council’s own policy framework and previous legal commitments and community agreements made in 2017 relating to the land. The site should therefore be removed from the Replacement Local Development Plan and transferred to the Community Council to be used as a community space and allotments
