Travellers on Cotgrave Colts site could cost council thousands
COTGRAVE Town Council faces a bill of thousands of pounds after travellers set up camp on a football ground.
Between 10 and 15 caravans have been pitched on the fields used by the Cotgrave Colts for more than a week.
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Back again: The caravans and vehicles on the Cotgrave Colts fields.
Picture: Mark Lee C200710ML1-1
It has left more than 100 young footballers without a ground to train on ahead of the new football season.
"The problem is, it costs us about £5,000 a time to remove them," said Cotgrave town councillor Drew Wilkie.
"This is the third time that they have come now in about four years.
"We had a barrier and secure gates put in. But the gates have been broken, so we will have to pay for repairs for that as well.
"Last time they came up here it cost us about £4,000 to clean up the site."
Mr Wilkie said the bill this time could rise to £10,000 as the council has to pay £5,000 to get an injunction to get the travellers off the land, then clean up the site so the Colts can safely return to the field in Colliers Way, as well as repair the gates.
"It always upsets people," he said. "It's the third time its happened. At the Colts there are about 120 young people in football, and this kind of thing spoils everything.
"I have written to MP Ken Clarke about this. When we have got this encroachment and have to pay for them to be moved the travellers themselves should have to pay."
The travellers appeared on the site last Sunday.
Mr Wilkie said the Colts were training and preparing the pitch for the new season, but this has had to stop.
He said the council has taken legal advice and is now preparing to get the injunction. The money for this and the clear-up operation will have to come from council reserves.
6 Comments
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by gary, Attenborough
Wednesday, July 21 2010, 10:24PM
“I meant to say for a couple of weeks.”
by People watching, Utrecht
Wednesday, July 21 2010, 5:33PM
“Actually what surprised me most was this piece on the land owners responsibilities which appears a little further into the pages: -
IF TRAVELLERS camp on private land, it is usually the land owner's responsibility to remove them.
Land owners who fail to reach an agreement with travellers can start County Court proceedings under the Civil Procedure Rule 1998.
Unless land owners have planning permission for a caravan site, they may be in breach of planning laws if they allow travellers to stay. If travellers camp on council land, the council must show in court proceedings that it has taken steps to consider their health and welfare.
Police will visit sites if they are reported to them and can use powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Trespass itself is not a criminal offence and police will decide each case on its merits.
So again the victim , be it the landowner or council tax payer, pays the price for the perpetrators actions! Ken Clarke this is in your patch. As Justice Minister do something about these ridiculous laws.
l have no doubt j,leics will be on shortly, telling us what wonderful people travellers are.”
by tax payer, upset, Long Eaton
Wednesday, July 21 2010, 12:35PM
“Ideal training for the SAS could be done”
by Scout parent, Notts
Wednesday, July 21 2010, 10:31AM
“They actually turned up on Sat. evening because the Cotgrave Scouts and Beavers were camping in their Scout field next to where the travellers broke in. We all had to pack up and go home as the travellers let their dogs out to run lose in the woods and we did not feel safe staying over night. It was really upsetting for the children. The police were called, came out and did nothing on the Sat. night. It's disgusting how these travellers can just take up where they choose and the police have no power to move them on. Is this what we pay our council tax for? So people who don't pay can have more rights than us!!!”
by Ernie Hale, Flying high
Wednesday, July 21 2010, 10:10AM
“So they broke a gate to get onto the site?
Is that not criminal damage? Where's the police in this?
Are the travellers, as they no doubt believe themselves to be, above the law?
If I went and kicked-in my neighbour's gate, I have no doubt that my collar would soon be felt.
And is it just coincidence that playgrounds in Rushcliffe have seen items of equipment disappearing recently? Perhaps the police might want to check if there are any play park slides hidden away on the site.”