Travellers camp on Leeds roadside - Yorkshire

From the Yorkshire Evening Post

A Traveller camp on a public road has brought back bad memories for neighbouring businesses.

Around 10 caravans and a number of cars and vans parked on Royds Lane, near Gelderd Road, Wortley, on Monday.

But the group’s arrival has sparked complaints from neighbours, in what is an industrial area of Leeds, after property sustained damage there in previous years.

A worker at a neighbouring business, who didn’t want to be named, said: “They need somewhere to go, fair enough, but winding everyone up while they are here isn’t right.”

He said that over recent years they have had groups urinating on their property and smashing windows although the current group are yet to cause any problems.

When groups have moved on land adjoining Royds Lane in the past, they have then moved just a few hundred yards on to nearby industrial estates.

Less than a mile from Cottingley Springs, Leeds’s only permanent Traveller site, the site has already been stopped at by Travellers this year.

Coun Angela Gabriel (Lab, Beeston and Holbeck) said she has received a complaint from a businessman alleging that Travellers are defecating in the street and plugging into lamp post’s electricity supplies.

She said: “I understand if you have got a business and you are trying to keep it nice and clean and this happens – it’s not good.

“It seems to be the same 15 caravans that travel around south Leeds and until the council gets its strategy together south Leeds is going to suffer.”

Coun Ann Blackburn (Green, Farnley and Wortley) said: “I think people would be a bit more tolerant if they (Travellers) cleaned up after themselves and weren’t a nuisance but having said that I have not had any complaints as yet.”

The council announced this year that it would spend £1m of government funds on 12 new permanent pitches in the city to address Travellers’ needs.

A council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the Travellers and are following normal procedures.”

She said that as the group is parked on a public highway, they will be issued with a “direction to leave” which could lead to an eviction hearing at Leeds Magistrates Court.