BY JACK WELCH

If there is one concerning issue that seems to show no sign of ending soon, it is homelessness across towns and cities in the UK and the rising number of people rough sleeping or in unsafe accommodation.

For most towns within Dorset, they are no exception. Within the south west region alone, according to Shelter, Weymouth and Portland comes fourth in the ranking for the number of homeless people in the area, with 161 said to be identified in this position by December 2016.

For any civil society, just one person being homeless is a reason to take practical action, where possible, when people fall on hard times, which can stem from various factors.

The Bus Shelter Dorset (BSD), which is seeking to provide essential shelter to those with no alternative, has recently been refused permission from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council to park on council-owned car parks due to ‘significant concerns’ of anti-social behaviour and the potential of drawing more homeless people to the car parks of the Pavilion and Preston Road.

While people are rightfully worried that these central locations will be at risk of the issues raised by the council, it seems sensible to try and find a compromise and agree a suitable spot, whilst not provoking a hostile reaction from the public (including tourists).

Some have suggested the parkand-ride near Sainsbury’s, but that is for the council and BSD to investigate.

Having seen for myself individuals on the street who have been outside for a longer period than anyone should be homeless, I question how prepared Dorset is when people have no place to call home.

Within areas like Weymouth, it is thought some people have travelled from further outside the county.

In these instances there is a need for local authorities to work in partnership to ensure one area is not disproportionately overwhelmed with caseloads.

The bottom line is, homelessness exists in rural and less populated towns, which means service availability is just as vital as it is in urban parts. It is no good to ignore the problem when we might need this help ourselves.