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Gypsy and Traveller local plan review

Information about how we will ensure accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers in Islington are met as part of the Islington Local Plan though a focused review.

The Islington Local Plan sets out a vision and framework to guide how we manage development in the borough to make sure we meet housing, employment and other needs. As part of the Local Plan, we must also meet the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers in Islington.

The borough's latest Local Plan was adopted in September 2023 and sets out the requirement for the immediate focused review of the policy for Gypsy and Travellers.

Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan review process

The Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan review started in March 2024 with the public consultation on the Scope of the Review paper, where we took residents' initial views.

We are now running a consultation on the Draft Gypsy and Traveller Site Assessment Methodology, which sets out the criteria and process for identifying sites that may be suitable for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation. At this stage, no sites have been chosen for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation. 

We are also inviting residents, landowners, developers, businesses and local community groups to make suggestions for land in Islington that could be used for new Gypsy and Traveller sites.

The consultation and 'Call for Sites' both close on 6 March 2025. Find out more and how to respond can be found on our Let’s Talk page.

Have your say

Why we need this review

There are currently no sites with pitches for caravans in Islington. For some Gypsy and Traveller families and households who live in the borough, living in a caravan is an essential part of their ethnic identity and social and cultural heritage, and standard housing is unsuitable.

A study we carried out in 2019 to inform the adopted Local Plan found that we need 10 permanent residential Gypsy and Traveller pitches to meet the needs of people from Gypsy and Traveller communities living in standard housing in the borough.

A London-wide Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment will be available in 2025. This piece of evidence will provide more evidence for the number of pitches in the borough.

Next steps

Our provisional timetable is:

  • January to March 2025 - call for sites and draft site search criteria, and site assessment process
  • autumn 2025 - consultation on the initial draft plan and potential sites
  • winter 2025 / spring 2026 - final consultation on draft Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan
  • autumn 2026 - submission for independent examination by planning inspectors.

Adoption timescale will depend on the outcome of the independent examination.

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