Official Statistics

Count of Traveller Caravans, January 2024: England

Published 5 June 2024

Applies to England

All comparisons refer to year-on-year changes to reflect the overall trend rather than seasonal fluctuations. For this statistical release (January 2024), comparisons have been made against data collected in January 2023.

1. In this release:

• Overall, the number of traveller caravans has increased since the last January count in 2023, continuing the long-term trend observed over previous counts. The total number of traveller caravans in England on the count date in January 2024 was 26,632, an increase of 1,670 (7%) in comparison with the 24,962 caravans reported in the January 2023 count. Typically, we see an increase of around 3% year on year. Whilst the 7% increase observed this year is higher than average this is partly explained by data quality improvements in the most recent count.
• The growth in number of caravans since the January 2023 count has been led mainly by a rise in the number of private caravans (with permanent planning permission). This has resulted in an increase in the total authorised caravans, despite a decrease in socially rented caravans.
• The number of caravans on authorised privately funded sites was 16,343, an increase of 1,358 (9%) than the 14,985 recorded in the January 2023 count.
• The number of caravans on authorised socially rented sites was 6,631, a decrease of 112 (2%) since the January 2023 count.
• Overall, the January 2024 count indicated that 86% of traveller caravans in England were on authorised land and that 14% were on unauthorised land.
• There were 3,658 unauthorised caravans reported in the January 2024 count, an increase of 424 (13%) since January 2023. Of these, 3,357 were reported on unauthorised developments on land owned by travellers, an increase of 594 (21%), and 301 were on unauthorised encampments on land not owned by travellers, a decrease of 170 caravans (36%).

Release date: 5 June 2024
Date of next release: November 2024 (provisional)
Contact: 0303 444 4805 / [email protected] (Responsible Statistician: Katherine Harris)
Media enquiries: 0303 444 1209 / [email protected]

2. Introduction

This statistical release presents official statistics on the count of traveller caravans in England. The count is carried out to provide local data on the number and seasonal movement of caravans and trends over time.

This publication is compiled from information submitted by local authorities in England. Local authorities carry out the count of caravans on traveller sites twice a year, in January and July, providing a snapshot of the number of caravans on the day of the count. Information is collected about caravans on authorised socially rented sites, authorised privately funded sites, unauthorised developments (sites on land owned by travellers for which planning permission has not been granted) and unauthorised encampments (sites on land not owned by travellers and which do not have planning permission).

The traveller caravan count covers data on the number of caravans and traveller sites in England; it does not cover the number of occupants residing in these caravans or caravan sites, or the potential drivers for any observed change.

The count takes place twice a year to reflect winter residence and summer travelling trends. All comparisons refer to year-on-year changes in order that changes between counts reflect the overall trend rather than seasonal fluctuations. For this statistical release (January 2024), comparisons have been made against January 2023.

The information in this release is based on data returned to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities by local authorities in England. Users should note that where updated data for previous counts is received, revisions will be made to figures from previous counts in the most recent publication only. This release presents current best estimates on the number of traveller caravans in England for the most recent as well as previous counts; the accompanying tables published alongside this release should be used for historic comparisons.

Further information is given in five accompanying live tables.

3. Count of Traveller caravans

Local authorities carried out the January 2024 count on or around 18 January 2024. Aggregated totals by site type are presented in Table 1 below, and comparative figures from the previous count are presented in Table 2. At the time of the January 2024 count, the total number of traveller caravans in England was 26,632. Of these 6,631 (25%) were on socially rented sites; 16,343 (61%) were on privately funded sites; 3,357 (13%) were unauthorised developments on land owned by travellers; and 301 (1%) were unauthorised encampments on land not owned by travellers. This information is also illustrated in Figure 1 below and in accompanying Live Table 1.

In this count, the relatively large increase in caravan numbers in comparison to January 2023 has been driven in part by improvements in data quality. When local authorities do not submit data, their figures are imputed based on previous submissions. A number of authorities who did not provide a complete return in January 2023 submitted data in January 2024. Two authorities (Runnymede and Buckinghamshire) were responsible for nearly a third of the 1,670 increase in caravan numbers.

Table 1: Number of Traveller caravans in January 2024 by site type, England

	Number of caravans	Percentage (%) of total caravans
Caravans on Authorised sites (with planning permission)	22,974	86.3
Of this: Socially         Rented Caravans	6,631	24.9
Of this: Private         Caravans	16,343	61.4
Of which:                 Temporary                 Planning                 Permission	424	1.6
Of which:                 Permanent                 Planning                 Permission	15,919	59.8
Caravans on Unauthorised Sites (without planning permission)	3,658	13.7
Of this: Caravans         on sites on         Traveller’s own         land	3,357	12.6
Of which:                 Tolerated	1,463	5.5
Of which:                 Not                 Tolerated	1,894	7.1
Of this: Caravans         on sites not on         Traveller’s own         land	301	1.1
Of which:                 Tolerated	115	0.4
Of which:                 Not                 Tolerated	186	0.7
All caravans	26,632	100.0

Table 2: Number of Traveller caravans in January 2023 and January 2024 by site type, England

	Number of caravans: January 2024 count	Number of caravans: January 2023 count	Difference in number of caravans between collections	Percentage difference in number of caravans between collections
Caravans on Authorised sites (with planning permission)	22,974	21,728	1,246	5.7
Of this: Socially         Rented Caravans	6,631	6,743	-112	-1.7
Of this: Private         Caravans	16,343	14,985	1,358	9.1
Of which:                 Temporary                 Planning                 Permission	424	347	77	22.2
Of which:                 Permanent                 Planning                 Permission	15,919	14,638	1,281	8.8
Caravans on Unauthorised Sites (without planning permission)	3,658	3,234	424	13.1
Of this: Caravans         on sites on         Traveller’s own         land	3,357	2,763	594	21.5
Of which:                 Tolerated	1,463	1,334	129	9.7
Of which:                 Not                 Tolerated	1,894	1,429	465	32.5
Of this: Caravans         on sites not on         Traveller’s own         land	301	471	-170	-36.1
Of which:                 Tolerated	115	224	-109	-48.7
Of which:                 Not                 Tolerated	186	247	-61	-24.7
All caravans	26,632	24,962	1,670	6.7

The total number of traveller caravans in England has risen from 19,519 in 2014 to 26,632 in January 2024, an increase of 36%. The growth in number of caravans has been led mainly by a rise in the number of private caravans (with permanent planning permission). Figure 1 illustrates that the number of caravans on authorised private sites has increased from 10,013 private caravans recorded in 2014 compared to 16,343 in January 2024.

Figure 1: Number of traveller caravans in England by site type over last 10 January counts (1)

1. Due to National lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Traveller Caravan Count was suspended in July 2020 and January 2021

Figure 2 shows that caravans on authorised private sites accounted for the largest proportion of the total number of caravans across England in January 2024 (61%). Caravans on unauthorised sites accounted for 14% of the total with caravans on authorised socially rented sites accounting for 25%. The underlying figures are included in accompanying Live Table 4.

Figure 2: Proportion of traveller caravans by site type groupings in January 2024 count

4. Geographic distribution

The geographic distribution of traveller caravans varies across England. Map 1 below shows the total number of caravans on authorised sites within each local authority boundary.

The data has been grouped into 5 categories for the purposes of mapping using the Jenks natural breaks classification method. This method splits the data into intervals based on the natural groupings observed within. The class breaks identified work to minimise the variance or difference between individual cases selected in each group whilst also maximising the variances between each group taken as a whole. Maps created using this method allow trends in the underlying data to be accurately represented, aiding interpretation and further analysis.

As indicated in the key, darker colours represent those local authorities that have reported a higher number of total caravans on authorised sites whereas lighter colours indicate local authorities that have reported lower numbers of caravans.

Map 1: Traveller caravans on authorised sites in England, January 2024

5. Historic data

The traveller caravan count has taken place twice a year since January 1979, with the exception of collections cancelled in July 2020 and January 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Figure 3 below shows how the total number of traveller caravans in England has changed over this period across both summer (July) and winter (January) counts. National totals from each count of the main categories of authorised and unauthorised sites are presented in accompanying Live Table 4. The figures show an increase in the overall total from 8,358 caravans in 1979 to 26,632 in January 2024.

Figure 3: Number of Traveller caravans from 1979 to 2024, England (1)

1. Due to National lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Traveller Caravan Count was suspended in July 2020 and January 2021

6. Travelling Showpeople

Data on the number of the caravans/moveable dwellings occupied by Travelling Showpeople in each local authority area in England is collected as part of each January count. Travelling Showpeople caravan count data from January 2024 and previous years are published in Live Table 3. Figures on Travelling Showpeople caravans are published separately from the Gypsy Traveller caravan figures, i.e. not included in the figures covered earlier in this release, and are not included in any accompanying Tables apart from Live Table 3.

The overall number of Travelling Showpeople caravans counted in January 2024 was 3,046, an increase of 10% from 2,770 in January 2023. This remains lower than the 3,159 caravans counted in January 2015, the highest total count recorded. The total number of caravans on authorised and unauthorised sites from the most recent 6 counts are illustrated in Figure 4 below. For full disaggregated data on Travelling Showpeople caravans for the last 6 counts see accompanying Live Table 3.

Figure 4: Number of Travelling Showpeople caravans in England on authorised and unauthorised sites over last 6 January counts (1)

1. Due to National lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Traveller Caravan Count was suspended in July 2020 and January 2021

7. Accompanying tables and open data

Symbols used:

[Imp] Data has been partially or totally imputed due to non-submission or data quality issues - where data is missing, records have been carried forward from most recent submitted data (up to 3 January counts)
[..] Data not submitted for at least 3 consecutive counts (values are still imputed for England total)
[R] Revised since last publication

8. Tables

Accompanying tables are available to download alongside this release. These include:

Table 1: Count of traveller caravans on authorised and unauthorised sites for the last 6 counts, nationally and by local authority area, based on local authority boundaries as at the time of the count(s);

Table 2: Location and size of traveller sites operated by local authorities and private registered providers in England;

Table 3: Number of Travelling Showpeople caravans on authorised and unauthorised sites for the last 6 January counts nationally and by local authority area (updated as part of the January count);

Table 4: National totals for the main categories of authorised and unauthorised sites for all counts since January 1979;

Table 5: Count of Traveller Caravans: new affordable residential pitches constructed between July 2023 and July 2024 (updated as part of the July count).

See Statistical releases and accompanying tables for data from previous caravan counts.

9. Technical notes

Please see the accompanying Technical notes document for further details.

Information on Official Statistics is available via the UK Statistics Authority website.

Information about statistics at DLUHC is available via the Department’s website.