We are trying to stop Traveller encampments, says councillor - Bedfordshire

A senior council official has admitted that Gypsies have been giving them the run around.

The Travellers have already been moved off three other sites in Bedford but overnight on Wednesday 15 caravans popped up on wasteland earmarked for the site of a supermarket.

Cllr Charles Royden said the group, who are now camped on land off Ampthill Road, have already been taken to court to be evicted from near Interchange Retail Park three times as well as Meadow Lane and Norse Road, Bedford But, as the land is privately owned, the council is unable to remove them.

Cllr Royden, portfolio holder for the environment and transport, said: “It is shocking when people look askance at the court and legal process and treat communities with disregard.
“Illegal encampments such as these are completely unacceptable. It costs local taxpayers money to take legal action to remove the encampment from each individual site, in addition to the cost of clearing the site afterwards.
“The council is doing everything in its power to prevent unauthorised encampments which are unacceptable to local taxpayers.”*

A council spokesman added: “The council has taken action to remove previous illegal encampments in the borough from public land. However, this encampment is located on privately owned land and the council is therefore not able to become involved in any eviction process.”

* Everything that is apart from providing authorised sites