Call for permenant barrier after Travellers leave rubbish strewn across Cannon Hill Common - London

From This Is Local London

Piles of waste have been left by a group of Travellers after they illegally set up camp on Cannon Hill Common for the third time.

The group had moved on as of Friday morning (October 5) but left behind overflowing bags of rubbish strewn across the common and bushes.

Councillor Debbie Shears, for Cannon Hill ward, and leader of the Merton Conservatives said: "The mess is awful - there is rubbish and excrement.
"They have been using the bushes as toilets.
"I asked the council if they were going to come it and clean and they said they would clean what is obvious.
"We will be out there over the weekend having a look.
"What I’m saying to residents is that is you see some rubbish just let the council know because they should go in and do a deep clean."

Residents have been now invited to attend a public meeting on November 19 at the St James Hall in Martin Way, Morden, to discuss the possibility of a permanent barrier.

Coun Shears said: "We have asked [Merton Council] to do a proper consultation.
"They need to come up with the options that are affordable"

Some of the suggestions include the use of ditches, land mounds or logs, but there is mixed opinion on what would be the best solution.

One online reader said: "Although it is important to protect the common from this kind of invasion it is still a public piece of land owned by us all and it would be wrong to erect barriers just for a few mindless individuals."

A formal consultation is expected to be put forward by the council in due course.