Council responds to Travellers on car park - Derbyshire

From Ilkeston Advertiser

The council has said it is doing it all it can to remove Travellers from an Ilkeston car park, less than two weeks before Ilkeston Fair arrives.

Nine caravans are today (Thursday) parked across parking spaces around the edges of Pimlico car park in the town centre.

The vans are parked directly where rides will be positioned during the annual Charter Fair which starts on Wednesday October 17.

Phil Wright, director of operational services at Erewash Borough Council, said: “A notice was served on the Travellers at Pimlico car park on Wednesday morning as soon as we were aware of their presence, requiring that they vacate the site within 24 hours.

“The Travellers are still on the Pimlico site today and, as such, we have taken immediate steps to seek a court order to evict them from the site, which is the legal process we are required to follow.”

A neighbour called the Advertiser yesterday saying he had seen a woman being ‘chased’ by two dogs, thought to belong to the Travellers.

Mr Wright continued: “We are aware there were some dogs running loose at the site and we have spoken to the Travellers asking them to keep the dogs under proper control.

“Our neighbourhood wardens and neighbourhood dog wardens will patrol the area regularly and will take action, within their powers, if it is deemed necessary.”

He added: “The council has also instructed parking enforcement officers to issue penalty charge notices if there are any breaches of car park regulations and a number of these have been issued.”