Poole park and ride ‘not available for Traveller transit site’ - Dorset

From the Daily Echo

DESPITE being covered in concrete, Poole’s park and ride site remains in the green belt and is not available for a Traveller transit site.

The town’s mayor, Cllr Phil Eades, who is calling on Borough of Poole to find a suitable site before next summer, had suggested part of the Creekmoor land could be used, either temporarily or permanently.

He has put a motion before the council at its meeting on October 22 urging council to find a transit site in the borough before Travellers return next summer.

This would enable the police to evict illegal encampments from publicly owned land within 24 hours and he believes would deter Travellers from coming to the town in the first place.

“There can’t not be a solution,” said Cllr Eades. “That doesn’t make any sense. Otherwise residents will have to suffer the inconvenience and hassle every year. That’s not good enough.”

In order to develop the park and ride site at Marshes End, the council had to get special dispensation from the government. Launched in November 2002 as a commuter park and ride, it lost more than £1,000 a day during its first summer and was swiftly closed.

Nigel Jacobs, council planning policy and implementation manager said: “The park and ride site at Creekmoor sits within the green belt and any proposal for a Traveller site would be considered inappropriate development.

“The site, as a park and ride site, is also identified within the most recent Local Transport Plan approved by Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole and forms part of the longer term transport strategy for south east Dorset.”

Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, has said there would need to be “very special circumstances” to justify inappropriate development in the green belt – however some Traveller sites have been permitted in the green belt on appeal.