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Despite having got myself into hot water more than once I have, nevertheless, decided to reintroduce an �Issues� page on the new website.
Here is a Press Release sent to me by County Councillor Gregson:
CHALK PIT QUARRY, MAIDEN NEWTON
A lot of concern is being expressed by local residents about the future of Chalk Pit Quarry, Maiden Newton, following the departure of the travellers a couple of months ago. Its future is part of a much wider discussion to try to resolve the issue of travellers across Dorset, and much work by the County Council still needs to be done to examine the best way forward. Although Chalk Pit Quarry still remains a possibility, confidential studies are being undertaken to examine all the existing sites and to try to find some new ones. Therefore, it is not expected that the Council will release any further information until the meeting of the Environmental Services Overview and Policy Development Committee meets is June.
20 March 2006
Peter Gregson
Commander, RN
County Councillor for Beaminster
Travellers
Below is a letter received from Mr Mike Evans, Principal Business Support Officer of Dorset County Council in reply to my request for information on Whitesheet Quarry.
It is helpful in giving background information about the issue but useless if you want to know what is actually happening locally. I had pointed out that the level of information supplied to the public on this matter had been abysmal. I leave it to you to decided if things have improved.
Dear Mr Wright,
Sites for Gypsies and Travellers
Your letter to the Chief Executive, dated 13 February 2006, has been passed to me so that I can offer some further clarification in response to your query about possible Traveller Sites.
You say, in your letter, that Whitesheets Quarry at Maiden Newton has been considered as a possible site for Travellers and express concern at the lack of information about this.
The position, at the moment, is that there is a national recognition of the many problems associated with Unauthorised Camping by Gypsies and Travellers. In acknowledgement of this the Government has increased Police powers through the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 but these powers are contingent upon local authorities identifying "suitable" and "relevant" alternative sites. As I am sure you will appreciate, moving Travellers from one site, without having an alternative to offer, merely creates another unauthorised site in another, possibly equally unsuitable location. The Government has offered 100% funding for the establishment of these "relevant" sites on a competitive bidding basis.
The County Council has a joint protocol with the Dorset Police and has decided that it wishes to access the new police powers through the establishment of the necessary approved sites to which the police could direct Travellers. The site to which you refer was the subject of an Unauthorised Encampment on private land, which grew, out of all proportion, and caused anxiety and nuisance to the local community. It is precisely in order to deal with such uncontrolled sites that the County Council wishes to access the additional police powers but this can only be done if we have developed authorised and managed sites to which the Travellers can be directed. Work began a couple of years ago with the establishment of a Policy Development Panel of County Councillors, supported by officers and their investigations followed two strands. Firstly, what and where was the demand and, secondly, what land was or might be available.
This first strand involved the mapping of data about existing and previous sites to see where Travellers went and with what frequency. Sites that were located miles from the locations that Travellers have traditionally used would be neither "suitable" nor "relevant", as required for the use of the new police powers. It was estimated that up to 26 sites were needed, countywide both to cater for demand and to resolve the issues associated with Unauthorised Camping. It was agreed that there was a need for one or possibly two sites in Rural West Dorset and you may be aware that Maiden Newton, Winterbourne Abbas and Beaminster (for example) have all had Traveller encampments in recent times.
The second part of the Panel's investigations involved an examination of land already in the ownership of the County Council and this search, initially, revealed ten possible sites but, following public consultation and discussions with planning officers, this number has reduced to just one. This site has still to be tested through the planning process. The search began with local authority land because that was a requirement of the Government's grant scheme but the search has now widened to look at land in private ownership.
This exercise has to proceed with respect for the feelings of landowners and local people. It would be improper to conduct open discussions about private land before the owner had been approached and given approval. Likewise, it would be wrong to conduct negotiations with landowners without the approval of elected members and some discussion with planning officers about the viability of the site for this purpose. Experience also shows that, rightly or wrongly, great anxiety can be felt by local people about the possible creation of a Traveller encampment near to them. Many of the sites that have been considered by members have been quickly dismissed and it would have been a pity to alarm anybody by releasing details of these locations at an early stage.
At the appropriate time, open reports will be placed before committee members and the-public will become involved in the debate but until that time, a measure of confidentiality is required.
This is a fairly lengthy explanation but I hope it is helpful to you.
Yours sincerely
Mike Evans
Principal Business Support Officer
Chief Executive
Dorset County Council
Dear Sir,
I am writing to request the minutes of the meeting held, I believe, on the 17th January regarding the positioning of Traveller/Gypsy sites in Dorset. I understand that the site at Whitesheet Quarry was considered and I would like to know what the current situation is. I did telephone on the 18th but was told, very politely, that the meeting had been closed and that the public was not entitled to know the outcome. There has been considerable disquiet in the village about the Travellers and especially about the lack on information forthcoming from DCC. Having closed meetings does not really help.
If you have any other information regarding this issue I would be grateful and in particular I would like to know how Whitesheet Quarry ever came to be considered in the first place. Someone must have said �Well we ought to consider Whitesheet Quarry, after all the travellers are already there�. I would like to know who it was who said it.
I am sorry if this letter seems a bit heavy handed but all we ever hear in Maiden Newton is rumour and counter rumour. It would be so refreshing to know the actual situation.
Yours Faithfully,
John Wright