Legal battle to get travellers to move on
parish council acT over camp near playground
PARISH councillors have launched a legal battle to remove travellers who have pitched up under a bridge next to a children’s playground near Burton.
At least six caravans are camping under the Shobnall Road bridge near the former Imex Business Park.
They have parked close to a playground known as The Link Park, off Moor Street, on land leased by Shobnall Parish Council from the county council.
The arrival of the travellers has prompted the parish council to start legal action.
It is believed the travellers may have been on the land in Shobnall since last week.
They declined to comment when approached by the Burton Mail.
Paul Walker, who represents Shobnall on East Staffordshire Borough Council, said: “I am conscious of the reputation and the mess travellers leave but these are people who shouldn’t be disregarded and hopefully they can be moved somewhere new.”
The Burton Mail has approached Shobnall Parish Council for a comment on the situation.
A spokesman for Staffordshire County Council said that the land where the travellers are camped is leased by the parish council, which is arranging to get possession of the land by applying for the appropriate court order to remove them.
A spokesman for East Staffordshire Borough Council said: “All parties are aware of the travellers and are taking the appropriate action.”
Staffordshire Police said they had not received a call about the travellers.
Travellers setting up unauthorised encampments in public fields, car parks and other open spaces can be frustrating for a local community.
Residents in other areas have said it often it can seem like the police and council are not doing enough to remove the encampments quickly – but it can take days and the travellers have to be treated fairly.
Travellers cannot set up on any land they do not have permission to use. It’s an offence to park on a road or verge or in a layby in a way that obstructs or could be a danger to other users of the road, and also uncultivated land such as farmland.
They cannot camp in enclosed plantations such as land owned by the Forestry Commission.