Councils and the South Downs National Park Authority launch joint call for sites to meet Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople accommodation needs

Hastings Borough Council, Rother District Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Lewes District Council, Wealden District Council and the South Downs National Park Authority, are launching a coordinated call for sites to help identify suitable locations for permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches and Travelling Showpeople plots across their administrative areas.  

The authorities are working together to seek to ensure that the accommodation needs of these communities are met in a fair and sustainable way, in line with national planning policy and local housing strategies. 

Landowners, developers, community groups, and members of the public are being invited to put forward potential sites. All suggested sites  will be assessed against a consistent set of criteria to determine their suitability. Even sites as small as a tennis court can be considered. 

Each council has a dedicated team member to answer any questions from those considering submitting a site. This support is available throughout the call for sites period. 

Cllr Mark Etherington, lead councillor for strategic planning and climate change at Hastings Borough Council, said: "This joint call for sites is an important step for us to identify appropriate locations for permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches and Travelling Showpeople plots. We have a legal and moral obligation to meet the housing needs of all our communities, and we are working together across East Sussex to ensure these needs are met.” 

The call for sites will be open from Tuesday 5 August to Sunday 5 October 2025. Further information, including how to submit a site and contact details for each council, is available on each council’s website.

Eastbourne - Eastbourne Land Availability Assessment - Call for Sites - Lewes and Eastbourne Planning Policy Consultations 

Hastings – Call for sites - Hastings

Lewes - Lewes District Council Land Availability Assessment (LAA) - Call for Sites - Lewes and Eastbourne Planning Policy Consultations 

Rother – Call for sites - Rother 

South Downs National Park Authority - Submit a Site to the Land Availability Assessment - South Downs National Park Authority 

Wealden – Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) - Wealden District Council