Finding a Gypsy Traveller site

You can find a pitch for your home on sites that are:

provided by the council
privately owned and licenced

If you cannot find anywhere to stay, the council usually has to help you.

If you’re being asked to leave your site, check our advice on eviction if you’re a Gypsy Traveller.

Parking on a council site

Some councils provide and run Gypsy Traveller sites. You usually need to apply to the council to get a pitch there.

Search on mygov.scot to find a council Gypsy Traveller site.

If you’re not sure what council area you’re in, find your local council on GOV.UK.

When you apply, ask:

to see the allocations policy, which is how they decide who gets a pitch
how long you might wait

If you’re offered a pitch

You’ll need to sign an occupancy agreement. It should tell you:

the site rules
your occupancy rights
the contact details for the site manager
the site manager’s responsibilities
who does repairs to the site

You’ll usually have to pay council tax and pitch fees.

Once you get a pitch, you can stay there as long as you need.

If you want to leave a council site temporarily

Some councils keep your pitch for you if you leave the site. Before you leave, find out whether they will hold it and how long they will hold it for. You could:

ask the site manager
check your occupancy agreement

You must tell the council if you'll be away for more than 4 weeks in a row.

If you’re unhappy with the facilities or the council

The council must maintain the site and facilities. Check the minimum standards for Gypsy Traveller sites on gov.scot.

If standards are not being met, explain your concerns to:

the site manager
the council’s Gypsy Traveller liaison officer (GTLO) - find your council's liaison officer on mygov.scot

If that doesn’t fix things, make an official complaint. Check our advice on complaining to the council.

Parking on a private site

Before renting a pitch, check:

whether it is a protected site, which means it is licenced for residential use and has planning permission
what safety precautions they have, for example fire safety rules
that you agree with the rental agreement and park rules
how much pitch fees are, and how often they increase
how much the charges are for electricity, water and sewage

Check if the person renting you the pitch owns the site. If they are renting it from someone else and that agreement ends, you might have to leave.

Holiday sites are usually not licenced for residential use. This means you cannot stay there all year round.

You’ll usually pay council tax if you live on a site for residential use, but not on a holiday site.

Check your rights if you:

Parking on an unprotected site

This is a private site that is not licenced for residential use, or does not have planning permission.

It's risky to stay on an unprotected site permanently. You have limited rights, and you can be evicted easily.

If you own your own land

You can set up a site on land you own. You’ll need to get planning permission and a site licence from the council.

Find your local council’s planning authority on mygov.scot.

Parking on an unauthorised site

If you park on land you do not own or have permission to stay on, this is an unauthorised site.

If the land is owned by the council

In some cases, you might be able to stay there temporarily. For example, if:

you're waiting for a pitch to become free on a council site
there are no private licenced sites available
you only want to park up briefly

Contact the council’s Gypsy Traveller liaison officer (GTLO) and ask if you can stay on the site. If not, ask for help finding a licenced site.

Find your council's liaison officer on mygov.scot.

If the land is privately owned

You could be trespassing. The owner can tell you to leave.

If you do not, they can ask the council to make you leave.

If you need help with costs

You could get Universal Credit or Housing Benefit to help pay your rent and pitch fees.

If your pitch means you need to pay council tax, check if you can get a council tax reduction or discount.

To check if you can get benefits, use the Turn2Us benefits calculator.

If you have nowhere to stay

You may be classed as homeless. You do not have to be living on the streets to be homeless.

Ask the council for a homeless application. They must give you temporary accommodation if you need it. This may be:

a council pitch
brick and mortar housing

Check our advice on how the council must help you if you’re homeless.

If you're not a British or Irish citizen, check our advice on how your immigration status affects your housing options.

If you experience discrimination

You should not be harassed or discriminated against when trying to find a site.

Check our advice on how to deal with housing discrimination.

If you want to live in brick and mortar housing

Check our advice on:

Last updated: 25 July 2024