Transforming provision for Gypsy and Traveller communities in Cornwall

Cornwall Council is committed to transforming provision for Gypsy and Traveller communities in Cornwall.

We are using this site to provide information about the accommodation transformation programme.

Background

Through Cornwall Housing we currently manage three residential Gypsy and Traveller sites – Boscarn Parc, Wheal Jewel and Foredown Parc - and the South Treviddo transit site, as well as providing a range of other Gypsy and Traveller services.

We have a legal duty to provide facilities to the travelling community. Following a review of the current provision, we are looking to significantly improve living conditions for Gypsy and Traveller communities in Cornwall by refurbishing existing sites and, where need is identified, extending other services.

After successfully securing Government and other funding to support the accommodation transformation programme, we are currently working with partners to draw up plans for the refurbishment of the Wheal Jewel site.

These plans are currently at a very early stage and we are not yet able to confirm a timescale for the delivery of the improvements.

We want to work with communities and other stakeholders to develop the programme and, once further work has been done on identifying specific proposals, will be engaging with local residents to help shape the plans.

Once the plans for Wheal Jewel have been developed they will be submitted to the local planning authority for consideration when members of the public and stakeholders will be invited to give their views as part of the statutory planning process.

The accommodation transformation programme will take place alongside the development of a wider Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Strategy. This Strategy will focus on ensuring that Cornwall’s Gypsy, Roma and Traveller residents have good access to services and facilities and are accorded the same consideration in policy approaches as the wider population. For example, it is widely acknowledged that members of the Gypsy, Roma & Traveller community have significantly worse health outcomes than the general population and experience substantial health inequalities and we want to put in place measures to rectify this situation.

A 'Direction of Travel' version of the Strategy will be published for consultation shortly - Monday 29th January until Friday 26th April - see Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Strategy.