Background
It is a requirement under the Housing Act 2004, as well as in Circular 01/2006 (Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites), for local authorities to assess Gypsy and Traveller accommodation needs and to identify land on which pitches could be placed.
National picture
You can read about these requirements through the following links on the Department for Communities and Local Government website:
Regional picture
In order to comply with national advice, regional planning bodies have to identify in their regional plans the overall level of need for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in their regions and how this should be distributed among the various authorities. Hertsmere's regional planning authority is the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA).
The Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) of Birmingham University, working on behalf of EERA estimated that there is a need for 1,220 additional residential pitches in the East of England over the five years from 2006 to 2011.
EERA has carried out some consultation regarding the distribution of any new sites across the six counties that it represents in the Eastern region, including Hertfordshire.
In January 2008 EERA recommended that every local authority in the region should provide a minimum of 15 new pitches by 2011 with more where there is a high level of need. In Hertsmere the number is 18.
EERA has now submitted the recommendations to the Secretary of State for consultation and public examination. A final decision will then be made by central Government. All the latest information on this can found on the East of England Regional Assembly 
website.
Hertsmere
Calculating Gypsy and Traveller pitch provision is carried out through a process known as a Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA).
Hertsmere Borough Council carried out its own GTAA with partner authorities in south and west Hertfordshire. This was also undertaken by the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies. The executive summery of the report 
can be viewed here.
Using the information in these research reports, Hertsmere, together with other local authorities, commissioned an independent report to try to identify possible potential locations of where these sites could be.
This report is known as the Scott Wilson report and can be viewed here .
The position so far is:
- A pitch is an area of land where a Gypsy or Traveller household can live; typically this may contain a building, parking space, and one or more caravans. The average number of caravans per pitch is currently estimated as 1.7. A site meanwhile is an area of land comprising multiple pitches.
- Since the need was announced, Hertsmere has already given planning permission for six additional pitches on the existing site in Barnet Road (the Pylon site) Potters Bar.
- This means that at the most Hertsmere, in providing for a further 12 or so pitches, could have to provide two additional sites, but possibly only one, in the borough, although the potential for extending existing sites will also be explored.
- It is almost inevitable that any new site will have to be in the Green Belt.
- The council is not in any way committed to any of the sites presented in the Scott Wilson report.
- Any proposals will be taken forward through the plan-making process, which includes several phases of public consultation along the way and independent examination.
- By providing some additional sites through the planning process it will help us to tackle unauthorised sites and protect the Green Belt. Hertsmere has in the past used its powers under the planning act to evict people from unauthorised sites.
- It is estimated it will take at least two years before any decision on specific sites is agreed.
What happens next:
- We are currently carrying out our own detailed assessment of the locations identified in the Scott Wilson report, as well as other locations which could be used, including any extension of existing sites.
- Sites are being assessed against a range of criteria including those set out at Policy CS6 in the council’s proposed Core Strategy.
- The criteria includes considerations such as the need to give preference to previously developed land, avoiding prejudicing the amenity of existing residential areas, the need to have suitable access and services, and the need to avoid over concentration of sites in any one area.
- Any proposed locations will be included in the council’s Site Allocations Development Plan document which will be prepared for consultation following this work and other pieces of work relating to different issues and sites across the borough.
- A Preferred Options version will be put out for public consultation for a period of at least six weeks. It is expected that this will be in June/July 2008.
- We will then take public views into consideration and produce a final version which has to go to the full council to be approved.
- Once approved, the report will go to the Secretary of State who will appoint an inspector to hold a public examination.
- The public can raise formal objections at that stage.
- Following this examination the inspector will issue a report whose recommendations will be binding on the council.