Traveller caravan count

This page includes explorable data and a summary of the Traveller caravan count.

Areas included: England, Surrey, Surrey LAs.

Latest data included*: January 2022 (next update December '22).

*The July 2020 count was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Summary

This data includes a statistical count of the number of caravans on both authorised and unauthorised sites across Surrey. The count takes place every January and June.

Around 60 per cent of the caravans in Surrey in January 2022 were private caravans (580). There were also 261 socially rented caravans. Of the 113 caravans on unauthorised sites in Surrey, all of which were on Travellers’ own land. 

The total number of Traveller caravans rose from 819 in January 2018 to 954 in January 2022. Most of this increase was from 87 new private caravans with temporary planning permission, 36 new private caravans with permanent planning permission, and 15 new caravans on unauthorised sites on Travellers’ own land. There was a decline of 13 socially rented caravans between January 2018 and 2020.

The numbers of Traveller caravans in Surrey* in January 2018 compared to January 2022

*The Surrey totals are calculated by summing the individual local authority counts – Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their counts and so are not included.

 *The Surrey totals are calculated by summing the individual local authority counts – Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their counts and so are not included. 

The Traveller caravan counts are collected every six months. In the last six months of the available data, between July 2021 and January 2022, there was a decline of 34 of the 295 socially rented caravans, 5 of the 118 (unauthorised) caravans on sites on Travellers’ own land, and 2 of 2 (unauthorised) caravans on sites on land not owned by Travellers. The number of (authorised) private caravans with temporary planning permission rose by 43 from 90 in July 2021. The number of (authorised) private caravans with permanent planning permission rose by 20 from 427 in July 2021.

The change in the numbers of Traveller caravans in Surrey* between July 2021 and January 2022

*The Surrey totals are calculated by summing the individual local authority counts – Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their counts and so are not included. *The Surrey totals are calculated by summing the individual local authority counts – Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their counts and so are not included. 

*The Surrey totals are calculated by summing the individual local authority counts – Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their counts and so are not included. 

*The Surrey totals are calculated by summing the individual local authority counts – Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their counts and so are not included. 

*The Surrey totals are calculated by summing the individual local authority counts – Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their counts and so are not included.

Waverley had the largest number of Traveller caravans in Surrey (229) in January 2022 and 92 per cent of these caravans were on authorised sites with planning permission.

 Tandridge had 135 Traveller caravans in January 2022. Just over 60 per cent of Tandridge Traveller caravans were on authorised sites with planning permission, with 29 of the 52 caravans on unauthorised sites on Travellers’ own land but which were ‘not tolerated’.

 The majority of Traveller caravans in Surrey Heath (54 of 57), Woking (28 of 35), and Epsom and Ewell (26 of 26) were socially rented caravans on authorised sites.

 Reigate and Banstead had the largest change in the number of caravans in the last six months (an increase of 33) which included 22 new authorised caravans and 12 new unauthorised caravans on Travellers' own land which were ‘not tolerated’. The local authority with the second highest change in the number of caravans in the last six months was Epsom and Ewell with a decline of 23, all of which were authorised socially rented caravans.

.. missing data as data not submitted for at least 3 consecutive counts

Count of Traveller Caravans in Surrey – January 2022

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/traveller-caravan-count