South Gloucestershire Council wins award for travellers' planning policy

South Gloucestershire Council has won an award for its approach to handing planning applications for gipsy and traveller sites.

The announcement came at annual Awards for Community Involvement run by Planning Aid and the Royal Town Planning Institute in the South West.

The authority was named overall winner in the category 'Best practice community involvement in a development plan by a local authority or government agency'.

South West Planning Aid regional manager Barry Pearce said: "The council has displayed an impressive sensitivity and foresight in dealing with the community aspects and the potential risks associated with this difficult issue.

"Planning for gipsy and traveller sites presents all sorts of challenges – including the hard to reach nature of travellers, the historically contentious nature of the subject matter, and the propensity for rumour, racial prejudice and misinformation to damage good intentions'.

The councils principal planning officer Lisa Price said: "We have endeavoured to be as open and transparent as possible and engage and consult with our communities on this subject to seek their views, which are very important to us."