Councils in Dorset are considering options for resolving problems with illegal gypsy and traveller camps, ahead of a planned public consultation later this autumn.
All Dorset planning authorities are working together with the county council to produce a Development Plan Document (DPD) that will allocate permanent and transit sites to meet the county’s needs for the next 15 years.
Each of Dorset’s six borough and district councils, plus the two unitary authorities of Bournemouth and Poole, will be meeting over the next month to endorse the planned public consultation process later this year – when local people will have the chance to give their views on suggested sites.
Over the last year, consultants Baker Associates have been working to identify and assess potentially suitable locations against strict criteria, before drawing up a shortlist of options for each council. These options have not been endorsed by any of the partner authorities.
The suggested sites will be published with the reports for each council’s relevant committee:
West Dorset District Council’s Policy Scrutiny Committee (27 September)
East Dorset District Council’s Policy and Resources Committee (28 September)
North Dorset District Council’s Cabinet meeting (3 October)
Borough of Poole’s Economy and Overview Scrutiny Committee (3 October)
Bournemouth Borough Council’s Local Development Framework Steering Group (10 October)
Purbeck District Council’s Full Council (8 November)
Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s Policy Development Committee (17 October)
Christchurch Borough Council’s Full Council (18 october)
If members approve the consultation, local residents, businesses, interest groups and travelling communities will be invited to find out more and have their say on the potential site options for each area. A series of public exhibitions is planned, supported by an online questionnaire and comments form.
Having enough permanent and transit sites helps the police use special powers to move travellers who camp illegally on private or public land. It can reduce problems with associated anti-social behaviour by having properly managed sites and limits the detrimental effects on travelling communities’ health, education and well-being.
While the Government has removed the targets that were part of Regional Spatial Strategies, local authorities still have a responsibility to identify enough traveller sites to meet the local need. In 2007, the Dorset Traveller Needs Assessment identified the need for additional traveller pitches across Dorset for the years 2011-26.
Robert Gould, Dorset County Council’s Cabinet member for environment, said:
“This issue presents challenges for us all but we cannot solve the ongoing problem of unauthorised camping and development unless we have a planning policy that gives greater certainty for both settled and travelling communities.
By working in partnership with all Dorset councils I hope we will be better placed to identify the best possible locations for sites that will help to meet the needs of gypsies and travellers who move across local council boundaries.”
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October 19th, 2011 at 6:32 pm
The proposal to allow gypsies to live on Weymouth’s new multi-thousand park-and-ride site is just what’s need to encourage motorists to leave their cars there! Is this a joke?
October 20th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
Martin, thanks for your question. Over the last year, consultants Baker Associates have been working to identify and assess potentially suitable locations for Gypsy and Traveller sites in Dorset, against strict criteria, before drawing up a shortlist of options for each council – including the Weymouth park and ride site. However, none of these options have been endorsed by any of the partner authorities, they are merely suggestions at this stage. If members approve the consultation process, local residents, businesses, interest groups and travelling communities will be invited to find out more and have their say on the potential site options for each area – as well as other locations which were discarded earlier in the process. People will also have the chance to put forward alternative sites for consideration. A series of public exhibitions is planned, starting in late November, supported by an online questionnaire and comments form. Find more details of the sites suggested for Weymouth and Portland, and the reasons why they were chosen, at http://media.weymouth.gov.uk/docstore/demdocs/PDC_committee/PDC-D1-20111017.pdf.
October 20th, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Why has the consultation process for Gypsie sites not included the parish councils of those areas being considered. Bakers strategy appears to be aimed at those organisations more likely to support their proposal such as the travellers themselves. I think your should publish the names of those councillors involved in the process so they can take accountability for their actions. Let me know if that is not your intent and I will use FOI.
Thank you
October 21st, 2011 at 3:33 pm
John, thank you for your question. Consultation to date has involved discussions with a range of groups and individuals, including Gypsy and Traveller representatives, the Dorset Association of Town and Parish Councils, landowners and agents. The work carried out so far has simply been to identify potential sites for consideration. All parish councils will have the opportunity to give their views on these suggestions, plus other possible locations, during the public consultation process which begins next month. In response to your second point, members of all Dorset’s district and borough councils – including Bournemouth and Poole – are involved in this project, working in partnership with Dorset County Council. The news release above includes a list of the council committees which have been involved in the latest stage of the process. For more information, go to http://www.dorsetforyou.com/travellerpitches
January 2nd, 2012 at 10:28 pm
if anyones on here today all the best have a gud new year
alf beilin