 The new temporary site could also be used during future steam fairs |
Plans are being made for a new permanent site for travellers to prevent illegal encampments during one of the UK's biggest annual steam fairs. The county council wants to use a field south of the Long Crichel junction on the A354, during the Great Dorset Steam Fair at Tarrant Hinton.
A planning application is being drawn up and, if approved, the site could also be used during future fairs.
It follows an two-year experiment in which temporary sites were provided.
 |  We hope that establishing an approved site at Tarrant Hinton will give us a long-term, stable solution to this issue |
Until such sites were first provided during the 2004 steam fair, travellers often set up unauthorised encampments near Blandford Forum, sparking complaints from residents about trespass, anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.
Hilary Cox, county council cabinet member for environmental services, said the arrangement has proved successful over the past couple of years.
She added: "There was virtually no unauthorised camping associated with the Steam Fair and, where it did occur, the police moved quickly to direct travellers to the council site.
"With just one, carefully-managed site we could control the situation in a way that was never possible before.
"We hope that establishing an approved site at Tarrant Hinton will give us a long-term, stable solution to this issue."
This year's 38th fair takes place between 30 August and 3 September and will feature 200 working steam engines and 100 fairground organs on a 600-acre showground.
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