Council spent £20,000 to stop Travellers returning to Haverhill park - Suffolk

From the Haverhill Echo

A barrier has been installed in Haverhill to stop Travellers returning to a park off Bergamot Road.

St Edmundsbury Council has erected the barrier along the road at a cost of £17,000 – in addition to work already done that cost £3,000.

Installation of the knee-high barrier, which snakes along Bergamot Road from the roundabout to past Grenadier Road, began on November 5.

Bollards and knee high rails have also been installed at Bramley Road, Coxs Close, Crispin Close and Victoria Road.

The total cost of fitting all of the new deterrents is £17,000.

Two years ago work was done to fit a knee high barrier at the footpath by the Chimswell Road roundabout and also wooden fencing in the two gaps that allow access through the hedging to the park, costing £3,000

However, this proved ineffective as the fencing was removed before the Travellers arrived, allowing them to drive through on to the park.

Travellers were most recently on the site at the end of August, being moved on following a court order to expel them being passed on September 13.

After the Travellers set up camp on August 28, one of the men, John Murphy, 50, told the Echo after hearing of the eviction notice: “We’ll just move out of here, spend two weeks on the move and be away for 90 days and then we can come back – it’s a stupid law.”

Now the council has acted to ensure they cannot return, with the 90 days due to expire in a month.

A letter sent from the council to nearby residents read: “Bergamot Road Open Space has been targeted by illegal encampments on three separate occasions over the past two year period.

“The latest encampment was removed on September 13 following the serving of a court order.

“The previous attempts to deter unwanted vehicular access onto the site have been breached by those determined to gain access.

“As a quick fix deterrent we have dug a trench and reinstated the old wooden fence just in front of the new ditch.

“This work will only prevent vehicular access onto the main field, not the whole area.

“Following a number of requests for further action to be taken to try and secure the boundary of the Open Space the Borough will be appointing a contractor to install a knee high rail, similar to that in place along the boundary of Castle Playing Fields (Chivers Road).”

For all the latest news see Thursday’s (November 22) Echo.