MOVED ON – BUT JUST BY 3 MILES
T RAVELLERS who left a site covered with wrecked caravans, cars and litter have been moved off the land. But they have now taken up residence less than three miles away on a football pitch in the shadow of Newport’s Transporter Bridge.
Councillor Allan Morris represents Tatton Road, where the travellers originally set up.
“My understanding is that they have been turfed out by the Welsh Government,” he said.
“They have turned up on a nearby council football pitch at Coronation Park by the Transporter Bridge.
“It doesn’t take a genius to close the gates and make sure the place was secure.”
He suspected it had happened because of a communication breakdown between the council and the Welsh Government.
“The problem is that Newport council owns the land and they were chucked off by the Welsh Government,” he said.
“I’m not sure the right hand knew what the left hand was doing.”
It is understood the travellers were moved off the land about two weeks ago.
A concrete barrier was erected at the entrance to the land.
Within days a number of cars had parked outside the site, blocking the pavement. By Wednesday they had shifted. In their place were a number of security vans. On the vehicle sides it warned they contained dogs.
“I went there the next day and there were cars and caravans outside where they had been turfed off,” Coun Morris said.
“But I have been back a day or two later and they have not been there.
“Whether they were the same people or new people that didn’tdidn t know about the site I don’t know.”
They then tried to set up camp at Newport Wetlands, leading to a stand-off between bailiffs and travellers.
They eventually left the RSPB land peacefully.
“They made an attempt to get into the wetlands but there were enforcement officers put there,” said Coun Morris.
Over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend there was a bailiff in attendance at the site in case they tried to return.
A heavy metal gate, which had previously been left open, was locked shut when the site closed.
“The council will now have to go through the process of eviction [from the Coronation Park site] – that is the legal process we have to go through,” Coun Morris said. “I was well unchuffed when I fo found they had gone to Corona nation Park.”
He was also concerned th there would be a hefty cost to cl clean up any mess left beh hind.
At the last site a mountain o of rubbish was dumped, incl cluding scores of tyres, bits of old caravan, household rubbish and broken-down white goods. The clean-up is likely to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.
For years the site was kept in excellent condition by a group of travellers who arrived in 2012.
The entrance was decorated with flowers and greenery. Inside, the homes were well maintained.
They were granted tolerated status by the Welsh Government while the council developed proposals for a traveller site.
But it is understood another family arrived on the land this year and wrought havoc – driving the first family out in the process.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We took legal action to regain possession of the Tatton Road site and this was granted earlier this month. Since then we have taken steps to secure the site and are now working on a programme to clear and redevelop it.”
A Newport council spokesman said the authority was “taking legal action to remove an illegal encampment from the council-run park and land in Esperanto Way”.
“However, we hope they will move on voluntarily in the meantime so that the park can be used for its proper purpose by residents and local sports groups,” the spokesman said.