1 Overview
West Sussex County Council has 9 permanent sites for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. These are:
- Adversane - Billingshurst
- Cousins Copse - Five Oaks near Horsham
- Easthampnett - near Tangmere
- Little Horsgate - Cuckfield
- New Fairplace Hill - Burgess Hill
- New Withy Park - near Lancing
- Ryebank - Yapton
- Walstead - Haywards Heath
- Westbourne
Using permanent sites
Here are some important rules for living on a permanent site.
Boundaries
You must not move the boundary fence or make your plot bigger.
Deposits and rent
You need to pay a deposit before, or when you move onto, a site. Site officers can take your payment.
You must pay your rent by standing order. Our site officers can help you to set this up. If you receive a housing benefit, you can get it paid directly to us.
If you want a rent statement to show what you have paid, you can email us. Our email address is on the contact us page.
Electricity
You must only use British Standard hook up cables. Do not leave them on a reel
You must not use:
- cable joiners
- splitters
- ordinary household plugs or sockets
- extension leads
Parking
You can only park vehicles on your own plot. Do not park anywhere else on the site.
Animals
We only allow dogs and cats on our sites. You cannot keep horses or chickens.
You can only keep one dog on a plot. Dogs must not roam freely around the site.
2 Who can apply for a plot
To apply for a plot you must:
- be 18 years old, or older
- be a Gypsy or Traveller (either by ethnic group or legal definition)
- not be homeless on purpose (this is called 'intentional homelessness' as defined by the Housing Act 1996)
You cannot apply if you or someone you live with has recently behaved in a way that could cause problems for others on the site. This means you cannot apply if you, or someone you live with:
- has used threatening language or behaviour to any council worker or contractor
- has had a court order for violent behaviour in the past 3 years
- has lied or given wrong information on applications
- has made their housing situation worse without a good reason
- has moved onto any of the county council's sites without our permission
- owns a property in West Sussex, or another county, that you could live in
- owes money from a past stay at a council site
3 How you can apply for a plot
You can apply for a plot at more than one site. If you apply to more sites, you may have a better chance of getting a plot.
Apply for a plot (external link)We have a limited number of plots and only a few become available each year. Some plots may not be big enough or suitable for everyone.
If you cannot use the online form
If you cannot use the online form above, we can send you an application form by post or email. You can:
- email us to ask for a form
- ask someone else to email us for you
You can find our email address on the contact us page.
Waiting lists
If we cannot give you a plot, we will add your name to the waiting list. You will stay on the list for 12 months. After that, you will need to contact us again if you still want to be on the list.
Being on the waiting list does not mean you will get a plot. You will only get one if a suitable plot becomes available.
4 How we decide who gets a plot
We do not have enough plots for everyone who wants one. This means we need a fair system to decide who gets a plot.
Assessing your application
We give a point score to each part, or criteria, on your application. The more points you have, the better the chance of getting a plot. You can see the criteria and how many points each is worth in the tables below.
You will also get a point for each full month that you are on the waiting list, up to a maximum of 12 points.
Local connections
| Criteria | Points |
|---|---|
| You have lived in West Sussex for at least 12 months | 20 |
| You have been travelling in the immediate county borders (you must provide evidence) | 10 |
| You have close family (siblings, children, parents or grandparents) living in the area | 15 |
Problems with existing accommodation
| Criteria | Points |
|---|---|
| You are homeless (through no fault of your own) | 20 |
| You have been given notice to quit (through no fault of your own) | 15 |
| You are at risk of eviction (through no fault of your own) | 10 |
| You are staying at the West Sussex transit site | 20 |
| You are staying on an unauthorised encampment or development | 15 |
| You are a young adult (18 and over) living with parents on an existing site and getting married | 15 |
| You have lived on a travellers' site before and are finding it difficult to maintain a tenancy in permanent housing | 10 |
Medical conditions
| Criteria | Points |
|---|---|
| You have significant health problems (mental or physical) and require support | 20 |
| A member of your family has significant health problems (mental or physical) | 20 |
Family considerations
| Criteria | Points |
|---|---|
| You have children under 18 years old (up to 3 children) | 5 per child (15 maximum) |
| You (or your family member) are pregnant | 10 |
| You (or family members) are over 60 years old | 10 per person |
Welfare considerations
| Criteria | Points |
|---|---|
| You fear for your personal safety and are at risk of, or escaping, violence (through no fault of your own) | 20 |
| You have experienced racial harassment and intimidation | 15 |
| You must care for or support a member of your family who is already living on the site (health reasons) | 15 |
Educational considerations
| Criteria | Points |
|---|---|
| You need to keep your child's existing local school placement | 5 per child |
| You have a child with a statement of special educational needs | 10 per child |
| Your child needs to start getting education | 10 per child |
Giving you a plot
Before we can give you a plot, we will check that you can live well with other families who are already on the site and with other people in the area.
If we refuse your application
We may refuse your application for a plot or not put your name on the waiting list. This is likely to happen if you are not allowed to apply. For more details, see our who can apply for a plot page.
We do not have an appeals process. If you are unhappy, you can follow the steps on the county council's make a complaint page.
5 Transferring to another site
If you want to move from one of our permanent sites to a different one, you can ask us for a transfer.
To do this, email us and explain why you want to move. You can find our email address on our contact us page.
Before you apply for a transfer, you must make sure that:
- all your rent and water payments are up to date
- your pitch and utility block are clean and tidy
We give transfers priority over new applications.
6 Problems on sites
For most problems on sites, you should speak to the site officers. This includes if there is:
- antisocial behaviour
- a problem with your plot
- something that is broken
- an overgrown tree or hedge
- a wasp nest or other pests
You can find their contact details and working hours on our contact us page.
If antisocial behaviour involves violence or harm, you should contact the police. If there is an immediate danger, call 999. For non-emergency issues, call 101. Make sure you also tell site officers what is happening.
To report a smell of sewage, phone the Bell Rock help desk. Find their number on the contact us page.
If you have received a notice of intent and have questions, speak to the site officers or email us. Use the details on the contact us page.
You can find details about site rules on the overview page.