AN OFFICIAL travellers' transit site could be set aside for the Great Dorset Steam Fair for the next three years, with proposals also being mooted to extend this time frame further.

County chiefs will decide on Wednesday whether to grant permanent planning permission for the site on land between the villages of Tarrant Hinton and Tarrant Launceston.

It follows the success this summer of the authorised site at the same location, which police and the county council say helped reduce past problems of illegal encampments around the steam fair.

Cabinet members at County Hall say that the new planning permission would only come into force for the three weeks leading up to the steam fair, and during it.

"The site was well managed by the county council with support from North Dorset District Council, Dorset Police and regular visits by the NHS Ambulance Trust," said Miles Butler, director for environment. "The first unauthorised encampment occurred 24 hours before the official site was opened.

"The campers refused to move voluntarily to the authorised site and the police used their powers of direction triggered by the provision of the authorised site.

"Half of the campers followed the direction and moved to the authorised site and the remaining group were escorted from the county by police.

"For all subsequent unauthorised encampments, the occupants voluntarily moved to the authorised site."

At its peak some 100 caravans used the official site.

Members will hear at their meeting that feedback on the new site has since been mainly positive.

Government funding will be sought to improve highway signage, site access and water supply in the longer term.

At present, the cost of providing a site is £19,620, of which the steam fair pays half.