The TMSTH Area Forum was setup for YOU, the local residents to air views, raise issues and attend meetings about the development of the area in which you live.
The area forum has a committee of local residents who meet on a regular basis.
If you would like to become a committee member e-mail: tmsthareaforum@yahoo.com.
The committee members organise public meetings which are currently held 3 times a year and these meetings give you the opportunity to discuss any local issues and listen to invited speakers. However, if you are unable to attend the meetings, you can still contact us to raise any concerns you may have.
Meeting Minutes - 2nd February 2012
Minutes - Item 4
Gypsy and Traveller Sites Consultation
See our Latest News
Letter from Forum Member to Eric Pickles MP re: Proposed Gypsy and Traveller Sites
Proposed Gypsy & Traveller Sites in Forum Area
LATEST MEETING NEWS
Extract from minutes of the TMSTH Area Forum meeting held on Thursday, 2nd February 2012
Gypsy and Traveller Sites in Forum Area Update
NEED HELP TO FILL OUT THE RESPONSE FORM?
Comments should be supported by Planning reasons.
Click on PDF icon for guidance on the criteria used by the consultants for selecting sites.
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Gypsy and Traveller Sites Consultation - responses emailed to Alan Cheesman, Bournemouth Borough Council
Forum Members who have emailed comments on the Consultation to Bournemouth Council officer Alan Cheesman should check they have used the correct address (there is no ‘e’ in the middle of cheesman). If you have had your email returned, please send it again to planning@bournemouth.gov.uk where it will be directed to the correct place for the Consultation.
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Proposed Gypsy and Traveller Sites - Local Residents to take a Deputation to Council
On 17th January 2012 certain local residents will take a deputation to Full Council. If you wish to support them, please meet outside the Town Hall at 4 p.m. and then proceed to the public gallery.
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Proposed Gypsy and Traveller Site Assessments in Bournemouth - Bakers.
To see Bakers' assessments of all proposed sites in Bournemouth, please click here
3 out of 4 Proposed Gypsy and Traveller Sites in Forum Area
Update - 18th November 2011
Consultation begins on proposed Gypsy and Traveller sites in Bournemouth 18 November 2011 to 10 February 2012
Bakers Associates are holding four public exhibitions in Bournemouth to give residents an opportunity to find out more and give feedback. These take place on:
- Monday 5 December - Townsend. Visit anytime between 3.30-7.30pm at Bournemouth Learning Centre, Jewell Road.
- Friday 9 December - Muscliff. Visit any time between 2pm and 7pm at Muscliff Community Centre, Shillingstone Drive.
- Tuesday 13 December - Bournemouth. Visit anytime between 3pm-7pm at Bournemouth Library, The Triangle.
For further information including "roadshow" dates and consultation forms, go to:-
www.bournemouth.gov.uk/travellers
Have your say: finding sites in Dorset for Gypsies and Travellers
Update - 17th November 2011
Media release: Consultation begins on proposed Gypsy and Traveller sites in Bournemouth
Consultation begins on proposed Gypsy and Traveller sites in Bournemouth
Bournemouth residents are urged to have their say as a public consultation gets underway on proposed Gypsy and Traveller sites in the borough.
Consultants, Bakers Associates, appointed by all Dorset councils, have identified a number of potential sites across the whole of Dorset in order to meet the current and future needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople. Bakers Associates have identified four locations that they think could be suitable in Bournemouth.
- 10 transit pitches on land off Park Road, Lansdowne (bordering the Wessex Way and public car park off Lansdowne Road).
- Three residential pitches on green belt land near Erlin Farm, Muscliffe Lane.
- Five residential pitches on green belt land at Careys Road, off Broadway Lane.
- Eight residential pitches on green belt land on the edge of urban development at Throop Road, between Woodbury Avenue and the allotments.
The public consultation takes place from Friday 18 November 2011 and residents, local businesses and other interest groups have until Friday 10 February 2012 to give their feedback on the suitability of the sites.
Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Member for Communities and Planning, Bournemouth Borough Council, said: "It is important to remember that these options are being suggested by Baker Associates, as part of the work that all Dorset councils have commissioned them to do, in order to comply with our existing legal duties. The sites in Bournemouth are not endorsed by us as a Council. However, Government is insisting that we consult with our residents on the suitability of these sites for gypsy and traveller accommodation. I can certainly give assurances that we will listen very carefully to what our residents have to say."
Bakers Associates will be holding four public exhibitions in Bournemouth to provide residents with the opportunity to find out more information and give their feedback. These take place on:
- Monday 5 December - 3.30pm-7.30pm at Bournemouth Learning Centre, Jewell Road, Townsend
- Friday 9 December - 2pm-7pm at Muscliff Community Centre, Shillingstone Drive, Muscliff
- Tuesday 13 December - 3pm-7pm at Bournemouth Library, The Triangle.
- A fourth exhibition will take place in the Lansdowne area of Bournemouth in the new year - date and venue tbc
Consultation forms will be available at all Bournemouth libraries or alternatively, feedback can be given via an online form. More information can be found at: www.bournemouth.gov.uk/travellers
All feedback from the consultation will be considered by Bakers Associates before a revised shortlist is published later next year.
Update - 14th November 2011
For more information on Gypsy and Traveller Sites in Dorset and the Baker Report, please also go to:-
www.dorsetforyou.com/gypsyandtravellersites
Update - 8th November 2011
Gypsy and Traveller Sites Consultation
Ensure Your Comments Count
Racist Representations
The Council has a legal duty under the Race Relations Acts 2000 and 1976, to treat racist representations seriously. Section 33 states it is unlawful for Local Authority Officers to aid and abet discrimination by failing to challenge representations and these will not be counted in the consultation.
Some Forum members have expressed concern over what constitutes a "racist" comment.
**In general terms, a racist representation is one which includes words, phrases or comments which are likely:
- to be offensive to a particular racial or ethnic group
- to be racially abusive, insulting or threatening
- to apply pressure to discriminate on racial grounds
- to stir up racial hatred or contempt
Make your comments count. Racist representations will be discounted and respondents will fail to influence the outcomes and decisions of the matter.
** From Royal Town Planning Institute - Dealing with Racist Representations
From Dorset County Council:-
Please note that the Dorset councils will only consider comments by respondents who provide their names and contact addresses. Inappropriate, offensive or racist comments will not be acceptable and in extreme cases may be referred to the police.
Update - 8th November 2011
Note: Forum debated Gypsy and Traveller Sites in Bournemouth on 12 February, 2009.
Minutes can be found on:- TMSTH Area Forum Meeting - 12th February 2009
Update - 31st October 2011
Forum discussed this issue at the public meeting on 20th October, 2011.
Consultation dates - Friday 18th November 2011 to Friday 10th February 2012
Further information to follow.
NOTE
Public Consultation on the recent proposals will take place from 18 November 2011 to 10th February 2012. At that time the Council will produce consultation documents and information on the subject to go with them. However, as it has become clear, Forum Members are anxious for accurate information now and we therefore reproduce the FAQs that were released by the Council in February 2009, for a previous application.
This page will be updated as soon as further information is released by the Council.
Secretary
The following is taken from Bournemouth Borough Council's website:-
Consultation planned over four proposed gypsy and traveller sites
Consultants Bakers Associates, appointed by all Dorset councils, have suggested four locations that they think could be suitable for gypsy and traveller site provision in Bournemouth. Bournemouth's Cabinet on 12th October will be asked to agree to proceed with a formal public consultation to gain residents' views on the suitability of each site. The Council will not be asked to support or oppose the sites in any way at this stage.
Bakers' suggestions are:
- 10 transit pitches on land off Park Road, Lansdowne (bordering the Wessex Way and public car park off Lansdowne Road)
- Three residential pitches on green belt land near Erlin Farm, Muscliffe Lane
- Five residential pitches in green belt land at Careys Road, off Broadway Lane.
- Eight residential pitches on green belt land on the edge of urban development at Throop Road, between Woodbury Avenue and the allotments.
Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Communities and Planning said:
"It is important to remember that these options are being suggested by Baker Associates, as part of the work that all Dorset councils have commissioned them to do, in order to comply with our existing legal duties. The sites in Bournemouth are not endorsed by us as a Council. However, Government is insisting that we consult with our residents on the suitability of these sites for gypsy and traveller accommodation. I can certainly give assurances that we will listen very carefully to what our residents have to say."
Cllr Peter Charon, Leader of the Council, said,
"In Bournemouth, we are very disappointed. When we began this process, we had been promised a change in the law from the Government, that would allow local authorities to work together to respond to the needs of the travelling community - for example, by providing a gypsy and traveller site for use by a number of councils in one suitable location. This would remove the existing requirement based arbitrarily on borough boundaries, regardless of geographical size or availability of sites.
"In fact, Bournemouth has led the way in motivating local authorities nationally to raise this issue with Government as a priority - through both the Local Government Association, making written representations to our local MPs, writing to Ministers and even by meeting with Eric Pickles.
"Government has not followed through on its promise to allow local authorities the power to determine the right level of provision within their area, despite launching a consultation on Planning for Traveller Sites, because there is still no proposal to remove the duties imposed previously."
Having an authorised transit site available in the borough will mean the police can use powers to evict travellers who camp illegally on private or public land. They would then be required to use the available site or leave the borough. Having managed sites can reduce problems with associated anti-social behaviour and limit the detrimental effects on travelling communities’ health, education and well-being.
The Cabinet meeting on 12th October will be formally asked to agree to public consultation, not to form a view for or against any particular site. If Members approve the consultation, local residents, businesses, interest groups and travelling communities will be invited to find out more and have their say on the potential site options for each area. A series of public exhibitions is planned, supported by an online questionnaire and comments form.
The documents relating to the specific sites and the public consultation will be available to the public on Friday 30th September, via the Council's website, as part of the Local Development Framework Steering Committee's agenda paper.
Agenda and Reports for Local Development Framework Steering Committee 12 October 2011, including background information and maps can be found at :-
Agenda and Reports for Local Development Framework Steering Committee 12 October 2011
TMSTH Area Forum aims
> TMSTH Area Forum is a non-political, non-partisan platform for Forum Members to make their views known and discuss issues affecting them. All Forum Members have equal rights, irrespective of age, race, religion, disability or sexual orientation.
> TMSTH Area Forum will encourage community participation in the actions and policies of Bournemouth Borough Council, Regional and Central Government and other organisations, by identifying local issues, providing access to information and ensuring all sides are fairly represented.
> TMSTH Area Forum will collate the collective opinions within Forum and take them forward to Local, Regional and Central Government and other organisations, as determined by the Forum.
> TMSTH Area Forum will maintain strong links with local Councillors, Council Departments and Officers, Member of Parliament and representatives of other organisations, to ensure a two way flow of information.
> TMSTH Area Forum will work to improve links with public sector partners, e.g. Police and Safer Neighbourhood teams, Fire and Ambulance Service and to promote public service information.
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