COMMUNITIES Secretary Eric Pickles has ''unlawfully discriminated'' against Romany gypsies wanting pitches in the Green Belt, the High Court has ruled.

But despite the ruling, which is likely to affect many other travellers nationwide, the situation in Bournemouth is unlikely to change.

That's the opinion of Councillor John Beesley, leader of Bournemouth Borough Council.

“It is extremely unlikely that on planning policy grounds there is likely to be a suitable site in Bournemouth at all,” he said.

“And in Bournemouth's case, this would be a wholly inappropriate use of land in the green belt.

“That's been our position for around two-and-a-half years now, there's cross party support for that position and I don't think it's going to change.”

Councillors have long agreed that there is no suitable site for travellers anywhere in the town, on green belt land or otherwise.

Earlier this week, a judge said both human rights and equality laws were breached by Mr Pickles and his department ''calling in'' cases which would normally be considered by his planning inspectors.

The judge said Mr Pickles was operating a legally flawed policy of ''recovering'' for his own consideration appeals by travellers who claim there are exceptional circumstances for allowing them Green Belt sites.

Mr Justice Gilbart, sitting in London, said an inspectors' decision was normally received within eight weeks of the end of an inquiry - but it could take six months or more for a decision letter for a called-in case.

No attempt had been made by Mr Pickles and his ministers to follow steps required by the 2010 Equality Act to avoid indirect discrimination, and ''substantial delays'' had occurred in dealing with the appeals in violation of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, said the judge.

His test-case ruling was a victory for two Romany gypsies - Charmaine Moore, a single mother with three children who is under threat of eviction from a site at North Cudham in the London borough of Bromley, and Sarah Coates, a disabled woman also with three children fighting to live temporarily on Green Belt land at Sutton-at-Hone near Dartford, Kent.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission, which supported the gypsy challenge, welcomed the judge's finding of indirect discrimination.

A spokesman said: ''We have a duty to protect everyone from discrimination and ensure that the law is applied fairly, consistently and equally for all.

''We understand the need to be sensitive about Green Belt development but this should not be used to single out individuals for unlawful discrimination.

''Planning decisions should be taken on the merits of an application, not the characteristics of the applicant.''