Travellers back on land - Suffolk

From the Haverhill Echo

ENVIRONMENTAL Health officers were yesterday due to visit Travellers who illegally pitched up on a site in Haverhill.

The family of Travellers moved onto council land in Bergamot Road late on Tuesday evening.

Officers both at St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Haverhill Police said the Travellers are the same family that have moved onto the site twice in the past year.

Since then St Edmundsbury Borough Council has spent £3,000 on security on the site including putting a fence up around the site to stop illegal access to the land.

“We can confirm that this is council owned land and that it is being illegally occupied,” said a council spokeswoman.

“The Travellers appear to be the group that also illegally occupied the same site last year.

“They arrived on Tuesday night and dug up the fencing to gain access.

“There appear to be about six caravans and various other vehicles.

“We are working with the police and the county council’s Gypsy and Traveller Officer to assess their needs and our intention is to move them on as quickly as possible.”

She said the same Travellers had been on the site in May and November last year. She said each time they had stayed for about a week before moving to a site in Bury St Edmunds.

The council spokeswoman added that the clean up costs the past two times had been minimal.

She added that the council, which only has one legal Gypsy and Traveller site at Depden, was working to provide more pitches in the borough.

Haverhill Police Insp Peter Ferrie said: “Our officers went up there on Tuesday night to make sure that the local residents and the Travellers are ok and that there are no issues between them.

“We also contacted Suffolk County Council to get the street lights in Bergamot Road, Bramley Road and Coxs Close left on, and St Edmundsbury Borough Council to make sure that their refuse is collected.

“We are also working to get assessments done on their healh and educational needs.

“My understanding is that they intend to stay there until the notice is served.They have said they are there because they haven’t got anywhere else to go.”

Insp Ferrie said officers would continue to visit the site on a regular basis to check there were no problems.

Will Austin, clerk at Haverhill Town Council said he had received calls from a number of residents.

“We are assured that the relevant agencies are engaged with the Travellers to make sure that both the concerns of residents and the statutory duties to the Travellers are being addressed.”