COUNCIL chiefs have defended their decision to invest £20,000 in a designated site for travellers who set up unauthorised encampments during the North Dorset Steam Fair.

The landowner of the site in Stourpaine received the sum from North Dorset District Council and Dorset County Council for allowing travellers to stay on his land. But some residents say it is a case of council taxpayers' money badly spent.

The site was found in a bid to prevent unauthorised encampments. Stourpaine Parish Council was consulted, but the public was largely kept in the dark to avoid a massive influx of travellers to the area.

But North Dorset resident Dave Barnatt complained: "I'm not against the site, just the money that has been spent on it. They are spending taxpayers' money on people who don't contribute to the community.

"The reasons travellers come to the area is for the Steam Fair - therefore the Steam Fair should pay for this site."

Other residents said there should have been further public consultation before the money was released.

North Dorset District Council paid £15,000 and the county council donated £5,000 from a gypsy site budget.

A spokesperson for North Dorset Council said the £15,000 had come from a public health budget held by environmental health and that the views of Steam Fair bosses and the parish council had been taken into account.

But she said the clean-up costs last year were £10,000 and the cost of putting in defences at vulnerable sites this year could have run into thousands.

David Ayre, head of the county council's gypsy and travellers services, said: "We wanted to make sure we didn't have travellers setting up camp in the middle of Blandford.

"It will be the landowner not the councils who meets the clean-up costs when the travellers have left. He's also had to pay for loos and facilities and evicting them at the end.

"We've found in the past that court time and barristers' time can be quite expensive - it's surprising how quickly the money can clock up."

Martin Oliver, managing director of the Steam Fair, said it was the council's duty to fund sites for travellers.

He added: "We pay £12,000 in rates on the show ground and don't get anything for that so we really feel we are contributing enough."

First published: Sept 9