This page includes explorable data and a summary of the Traveller caravan count.
*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.
Just under 60 per cent of the caravans in Surrey in July 2022 were private caravans (587). There were also 284 socially rented caravans. Of the 165 caravans on unauthorised sites in Surrey, all of which were on Travellers’ own land.
The total number of Traveller caravans rose from 858 in January 2019 to 1,036 in January 2022. This increase was from 36 new private caravans with temporary planning permission, 54 new private caravans with permanent planning permission, and 64 new caravans on unauthorised sites on Travellers’ own land. There was an increase of 24 socially rented caravans between January 2019 and July 2022.
From January 2022 to July 2022, the total number of caravans rose by 82, taking the total to 1,036 caravans in July 2022.
The numbers of Traveller caravans in Surrey* in January 2019 compared to July 2022
*The Surrey totals are calculated by summing the individual local authority counts – Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their last three consecutive counts.
The Traveller caravan counts are collected every six months. In the last six months of the available data, between January 2022 and July 2022, there was an increase of 23 to the 261 socially rented caravans. The number of (authorised) private caravans with temporary planning permission declined by 9 from the 133 counted in January 2022. The number of (authorised) private caravans with permanent planning permission rose by 16 from 447 in January 2022.
The number of caravans on unauthorised sites on Travellers’ own land which were ‘tolerated’ declined by 27 (from 35 in January 2022 to 8 in July 2022) while the number which were ‘not tolerated’ rose by 79 from 78 in January 2022 to 157 in July 2022.
The change in the numbers of Traveller caravans in Surrey* between January 2022 and July 2022
*The Surrey totals are calculated by summing the individual local authority counts – Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their last three consecutive counts.
Waverley had the largest number of Traveller caravans in Surrey (207) in July 2022, followed by Guildford (177) and Reigate and Banstead (154). In Waverley, all these caravans were either private caravans on authorised sites with planning permission (95%) or socially rented (5%).
In Tandridge 75 Traveller caravans were on unauthorised sites on Travellers’ own land (72 were ‘not tolerated’ and 3 were ‘tolerated’). In Reigate and Banstead, 60 Traveller caravans were on unauthorised sites on Travellers’ own land and were ‘not tolerated’.
The number of Traveller Caravans, July 2022
* Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their last three consecutive counts.
Epsom and Ewell had the largest change in the number of caravans over the last two counts between January 2022 and July 2022 (an increase of 22) which consisted of new authorised socially rented caravans. The local authority with the second highest change in the number of caravans in the last six months was Reigate and Banstead with an increase of 41 which consisted of 48 additional caravans on unauthorised sites on Travellers’ own land alongside 7 fewer private caravans.
The change in Traveller caravan counts between January 2022 and July 2022
* Runnymede and Spelthorne have not submitted their last three consecutive counts.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/traveller-caravan-count
