Dorset Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople

23rd July 2010

All of the local authorities in Dorset, including unitary authorities Bournemouth and Poole, are working together to produce a joint Development Plan Document which will allocate permanent and transit sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople to meet identified needs for the next 15 years. Baker Associates has been commissioned to undertake this work over the next 2-3 years.

The DPD was launched at a stakeholder conference in June 2010 and initial engagement is currently taking place with both travelling and settled communities to identify site needs and to establish site assessment criteria. A Request for Sites exercise is also underway and site surveys will take place later this summer to identify potential sites for allocation. An Issues and Options public consultation exercise is expected in spring 2011. Options will look to identify both private and public sites across Dorset to meet needs identified in the published Dorset Traveller Needs Assessment and will consider a range of delivery models and future management arrangements.