I have always tried hard to make sure councils offer adequate provision for traveller communities and to be sympathetic to their chosen lifestyle. But it doesn’t help when travellers break into and camp on public spaces that are maintained at community expense causing criminal damage and when local people – including a local nursery for pre-school children – experience anti-social, threatening and low level criminal behaviour from these visitors.
This has now happened for the second time in recent weeks at Burrow’s sports field in Leckhampton, a council owned sports field managed by Leckhampton Rovers FC. On both occasions Cheltenham Borough Council officers moved swiftly to serve notices to move on and get court orders to enforce this if necessary. They also engaged on both child and animal welfare issues. On both occasions the travellers moved on in a few days and before the court dates. The earlier court order preventing return is understood to have applied to different individuals so could not be used by the police immediately this time which is frustrating but officers have to observe the law. I’m again grateful to council officers for moving as fast as possible but a couple of issues remain:
- If Burrow’s is now known to be a vulnerable site then we clearly need more robust physical barriers in place quickly that can’t be broken into simply with a pair of boltcutters. I have raised this with council officers and will work to get this in place fast and secure the required funding. Leckhampton Rovers FC manage the sports fields and have already made some very helpful suggestions about possible options.
- This time the police response, particularly in relation to more threatening anti-social behaviour in and around a children’s pre-school nursery and playground, does not seem to me to have been adequate. I have invited Gloucestershire Constabulary’s superintendent for Cheltenham to meet local people soon, even though the travellers have now moved on. I have also suggested the lead public protection officer for the council could attend too.
- I have also asked if car registration details and cctv could not be used to bring charges for criminal damage or behaviour against individuals, or recover costs for repairs and clean up from them. This kind of behaviour should not simply be allowed to take place with impunity.
