Tobias Ellwood has launched a petition calling for the traveller/gypsy site proposals
in Strouden, Throop and Muscliff to be overturned. The petition will be presented to
Number 10 Downing Street, the Department for Communities and Local Government
and Bournemouth Town Hall in the New Year.

Although the Coalition Government promised to change the law regarding provision
of traveller sites, the Localism Bill which legalises this change has yet to receive
Royal Assent meaning the existing law, obliging councils to identify potential sites in
the local borough plan still applies.

Tobias has received assurances from the Minister for Communities and Local
Government, Bob Neill MP, that once the Localism Bill becomes law councils
will have an opportunity to re-submit their local plans without the obligation to
automatically identify gypsy traveller locations.

Mr Ellwood said:
“Whilst the change in the law is good news we are not out of the woods yet, for
the re-submitted plans are subject to the approvable of the Secretary of State and
any council must be able to justify why it would be unsuitable for permanent gypsy
traveller sites to be developed in any community.

This petition is designed to reflect the overwhelming view of residents that building
three permanent sites in our ever diminishing but much treasured Greenbelt is
completely inappropriate.

It would also be fair to say Bournemouth has already absorbed the huge demands
on house building imposed on Dorset by the last Government. This overdevelopment
has already affected the character of the town by eating into our Greenbelt and has
placed enormous pressure on our infrastructure. There must come a point when we
say Bournemouth is full.