Calls have been made for a temporary Traveller site to be opened up in Weymouth.

Kushti Bok - a Dorset charity representing Gypsy and Traveller communities - wants an area of land to be earmarked as a transit site so Travellers do not have to park on private or public land.

The organisation believes a legitimate transit site would help ease community tensions - and is asking for people to 'put themselves in the shoes' of Travellers, who now have very limited freedoms to continue their traditional way of life, and are often targeted by racial hatred.

"A transit site is badly needed for Weymouth," said Betty Smith-Billington, chairperson of Kushti Bok.

"Unfortunately, travelling families get the blame for the actions of a small minority - and are also blamed for anti-social behaviour caused by others. Weymouth Park and Ride is seldom used by the public and part of that site could be made available."

Kushti Bok said it sympathises with Weymouth Rugby Club following a recent incident in which a pitch was left in a damaged state after a visit by a group of Travellers.

"The majority of Travellers do not condone anti-social behaviour or damage to property," Mrs Smith-Billington added.

"Some are told by police and councils that as long as there's no problems they can stay for a number of days or weeks - but then authorities or private landowners serve the groups with a notice to quit, and that is when problems start occurring.

"Travellers assume they are safe and the next day are told to leave - who wouldn't panic, who wouldn't get cross when you have young children to consider and we all trying to stay safe in this pandemic?

"People really should put themselves into the traveller's shoes and think of their own children being surrounded by people looking into their windows and taking photos, and then seeing social media remarks calling them 'pikeys', or saying they're all filthy."

Councils have a duty to provide some dedicated sites - the nearest transit site is at Piddlehinton, which is currently has space available, the council said. However Kushti Bok said Travellers have previously encountered a range of problems at that site.

Kushti Bok is calling for further discussions with Dorset Council, saying it has a good relationship with the authority but that there is still work to be done.

The council responded by saying options are being looked at, following discussions with Gypsy and Traveller representatives, although previously suggested sites were deemed unsuitable.

A Dorset Council spokesman said: "The council is working on preparing a new local plan for Dorset.

"No final decisions have been taken by the council on the sites which will be identified in order to meet the needs of Dorset’s travellers. The sites will be presented in a draft of the local plan which will be subject to consultation – all interested parties will have the opportunity of commenting.

"As part of preparations for the new local plan the council made a call for both housing sites for the settled community, and sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople in 2019.

"In addition to this call for sites an officer attended a Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Liaison Group meeting on November 8 2019.

"The processes of preparing the council’s new local plan were outlined and it was suggested that the traveller community should contact the council with details of any suitable sites so they could be taken into consideration in the plan making process.

"The officer held follow up meetings with two travellers who suggested possible sites – both of which are unsuitable on planning grounds.

"The officer attended a further meeting of the liaison group on February 18 2020 to informally discuss with the group and specifically to get a traveller perspective on the suitability of a number of traveller sites that officers were considering.

"The officer also attended a meeting of Kushti Bok on March 11 2020, principally to discuss some specific issues around an unauthorised traveller site close to Lytchett Minster, but they also took the opportunity to reiterate that the community should contact the council if they have a site that they would like it to consider.

"Earlier consultations carried out in 2011 and 2014 considered but did not reach any conclusion around use of part of the park and ride in Weymouth as a transit site."

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Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are legally recognised as ethnic groups, and protected by the Race Relations Act.

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