South Cambridgeshire District Council today (Wednesday 10 June) visited a Gypsy and Traveller site in Smithy Fen, Cottenham, to help ensure it is complying with regulations.
The Council visited approximately 70 caravans and spoke to some residents to establish who is living there as part of the District Council’s wider action to ensure Gypsy and Traveller sites are safe, lawful, and used for their intended purpose.
Smithy Fen is a well-established Gypsy and Traveller site. A condition of the planning permission for individual plots includes the need for Gypsy and Travellers to live in the caravans.
Caravans at the site also need to comply with The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 which regulates caravan sites across the UK and gives local authorities control over where and how caravans are used.
This legislation considers health, safety, and living conditions for people staying in caravans. It includes areas such as spacing between units, water supply, drainage, toilets, fire safety and electrical systems.
Cllr Laurence Damary-Homan, Lead Cabinet Member for Environment at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “This visit marked an important step in helping the Council build a clearer picture of how Smithy Fen is currently being used. We want to make sure the site is safe for everyone, and where it is not, make sure we have the necessary information to try and take action. The Council is committed to engaging with all residents in a fair and respectful way, and this fact‑finding work will help gather the information needed to support safe, lawful and inclusive communities.
“The next step is to review all the information gathered. Any future actions will be guided by the findings of the visit. We remain committed to ensuring that authorised sites are safe places to live. The timeline to take any appropriate action is governed by the legal process - we must ensure we thoroughly assess the information we have gathered and follow the necessary steps to get the best outcome that is fair and right by all our residents.”
Officers from a range of services were present to talk to residents and provide advice. Language support was also provided to ensure all residents could engage fully with the Council. Police were present to provide support where required.
Information gathered from talking to each resident will now be assessed carefully. If any breaches are identified, for example in planning, licensing or Council Tax, the Council will follow lawful and proportionate processes to address them.
This is the first step in a longer process, and any future actions will be taken in line with legal requirements and with sensitivity to the needs of the community living there, including housing needs of residents.
Council visit at another site in South Cambridgeshire
In October last year, the Council undertook a similar coordinated visit to a Gypsy and Traveller site in Fen Road, Chesterton, to help ensure the site is meeting planning regulations. The Council spoke with residents living in around 100 caravans to understand who was living there and to understand whether they are complying with relevant planning regulations.
All information gathered from talking to each resident has been assessed carefully.
The District Council has served an enforcement notice at The Laurels – part of the Fen Road site – because caravans there did not have planning permission. The landowners lodged an appeal, and the Planning Inspectorate dismissed it. The Inspector has told them to clear the site by November 2026.
Four further enforcement notices have also been served on parts of the site after Council investigations showed that some people living in caravans were not Gypsies or Travellers. This is a requirement of the planning permissions. These are currently progressing through the legal process.