Plan for traveller sites in Dorset to be scrapped

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has announced plans to revoke rules introduced by the former Labour government insisting that every local authority provide a permanent transit site.

Council leaders in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset have been searching unsuccessfully for permanent sites since the rules were announced several years ago.

But now they hope they will not be forced to provide the controversial sites, a move certain to be popular with residents who have campaigned against plans to set up sites in many locations across the county.

“In Bournemouth we have no plans to allocate such a site,” said Deputy Leader John Beesley. “However, we will have to wait for the detail of what the government is planning.”

Cllr Brian Leverett, Leader of the Borough of Poole, said he too is waiting for more details but added: “We would have no wish to provide a site but we are looking for clarification on the government’s statement as to whether it necessitates putting one within the borough boundary.”

He said no suitable sites have been identified in Poole.

Both said they are keen to find out more details about plans to strengthen council powers to deal with unauthorised encampments.

In a statement, Mr Pickles said: “We will not sit back and allow people to bypass the planning rules that everyone else has to abide by.

“That’s why we will strengthen the powers that councils have to enforce against breaches of planning rules and tackle the abuse of the planning system.”

Sites previously considered in Bournemouth include land at Cambridge Road in Westbourne, a site near the Cherry Tree Nursery in Northbourne, private land off Riverside Avenue and a site near the Townsend estate.

In Poole plans for a site at Ashington Farm were met with protests, as were plans for Merley Hall Farm in Dorset.

All were dropped after protests by local residents and business leaders.

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