Legal fight to force travellers off land in Bacup - Lancashire

From the Lancashire Telegraph

TRAVELLERS who have set up camp in Bacup are refusing to move despite being served with notice to leave by the police.

Caravans started to arrive at Futures Park in Newchurch Road, Bacup, last week, just behind Rossendale Council’s base.

The Travellers set up a temporary home on the public highway which is maintained and governed by Lancashire County Council.

Despite a written request not to settle at Futures Park, a well-known hotspot favoured by Travellers, the group failed to move on.

On Tuesday, the county council called on the police to enforce the notice to leave order.

The Travellers ignored the written request, forcing the county council to begin the legal process to evict them through the courts.

Coun Jimmy Eaton, said something needed to be done to prevent the site being targeted by the travelling community.

“Travellers choose to stop at Futures Park because there are large pockets of opened land for them to manoeuvre their vehicles,” he said.

“The major issue the people of Bacup have with Travellers is the mess they leave behind. It often costs the tax payer hundreds of pounds to clear up a site used by travellers.

“Futures Park is a difficult area as the car park is Rossendale Council’s responsibility and the rest of the land falls to the county council.

“I hope both authorities are working to think of a solution to prevent this happening again. I suspect in this latest row, the Travellers will move off at the eleventh hour, when they realise the courts will force them to move.”

A Rossendale Council online statement said: “The Travellers have not left Futures Park after being served the notice requiring them to depart.

“Lancashire County Council, which is responsible for this land as a highway authority, are now due to serve the Travellers with legal proceedings for possession of the land.”