Travellers Return Again To Ealing Common

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Familar sight of caravans on the open land

( photo via Cllr Dabrowska courtesy local resident)

Another illegal encampment of travellers has once again set up on Ealing Common.

A council spokesperson said: “A soon as we were  notified yesterday afternoon of four caravans arriving on Ealing Common parks officers attended immediately to establish identifies and complete the statutory assessments. We are now taking the next steps to resolve this situation.”

It's the latest incursion after a summer which saw various groups using the common as their base until appropriate legal action was taken and they were forced to move on.

In the last two years the costs of dealing with the illegal encampments - including legal expenses, cleaning up, officer time, repairs, have totalled over £600k.

Councillor Joanna Camadoo, cabinet member for community safety and inclusion said:
“Most travellers are peaceful and law abiding. However, as in all communities, there are those who fail to respect their surroundings, or local residents, or who are intent on criminal behaviour. Indeed, we have had several instances of commercial fly-tipping, with tonnes of waste being dumped illegally.

“I would like to see a change in the law to make it easier for the council and other authorities to deal with illegal camping. We have an authorised camping site in the borough for people to use with permanent berths and, as a council, we can ill afford the hundreds of thousands of pounds we have had to spend in evicting several temporary illegal encampments over the past year.”

Over 1,500 people have signed a petition calling on Ealing Council to implement a borough-wide injunction on all public open spaces and other council-owned land to prevent such unauthorised encampments occurring.

The petition is being debated at Full Council on 18 December.

 

7th November 2018