Council leader calls for patience over shared Travellers site plan - Dorset

From the Daily Echo

COUNCIL leader John Beesley has appealed for patience over hopes that Bournemouth and Poole could share a transit Traveller’s camp.

The two councils are both yet to find anywhere to place a Travellers site that would then empower police to use tougher and quicker section 62a powers to move them on when they arrive in parks and public spaces.

Police commissioner Martyn Underhill has stated that cabinet minister Eric Pickles informed him Bournemouth and Poole could share a site instead of having one each.

Cllr John Beesley, Bournemouth council leader, welcomed the idea at a council steering group meeting but wants to wait until it is made official.

He said: “I would have thought this would require a change in legislation from the Government.

“When the secretary of state says ‘get on with it’, that is parallel with what the two MPs have been told.

“But I think we need to wait until we have it in writing that that’s the case from the department for communities and local government.

“Then if we get to that stage it will be extremely welcome.”

Mark Axford, principal planning policy officer, told the meeting there is no need for a permanent Travellers site as the “large population of gypsy Travellers” in Bournemouth is living in houses.

Cllr Ron Whittaker said he believes there should only be a need for a Travellers camp within the boundaries of each police authority.

At a meeting at Poole council last week members welcomed MP Roberts Syms’s offer to meet with the home office to consider varying the law on councils sharing transit sites.