Travellers park for free at Huddersfield's Springwood car park... but Kirklees Council explains why - Yorkshire

From the Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Furious Huddersfield people are annoyed that Travellers are camped on Springwood car park, taking up the spaces for free.

And it seems they could be there over the weekend close to Huddersfield ring road and the bus station.

Dozens of spaces in the Springwood car park are out of action since the travellers moved onto the site with caravans, vans and lorries on Tuesday.

It is thought they had earlier occupied a car park at the site of the former Oxfam premises in Beck Road, Huddersfield.

Kirklees Council is taking them to Huddersfield County Court, but the case won’t be heard until Monday lunchtime.

And there is a reason why Kirklees isn’t insisting that they pay to park like everyone else.

Meanwhile car owners seethe that they have to pay and display yet the Travellers seem to be getting away with it. After all the charges are £2.50 for up to five hours and £4 for up to ten hours. And they could get fined for not parking entirely in a marked parking space.

Here are just some of the comments from the Examiner’s Facebook site.

Jane Morris – hope they are going to ticket them all for non payment

Dean Robert – surely everybody has to pay their way in life. Travellers or not, they’re subject to the laws and bylaws of the land, as we all are.

Diane Wadsworth – they are parking in a public car park which people have to pay to use so therefore they should have to pay.

Kevin Nuttall – are they going to compensate businesses and shops losing trade as people can’t park there. Lots of people suffer as a result

Robert Tedder – they deserve fair treatment ie the same as me and you which is a parking ticket and a fine if appropriate.

Nikki Hanson – anyone who has a parking ticket there should fight it in the courts because it should be the same law for everyone and it’s unfair if they get away without paying for parking

Cassey Ringrose – it just annoys me because I pay a lot to park there every day as it’s near my work. This morning so many spaces had been occupied by the caravans and they will not be paying to park there. Anyone else would get a ticket and fine without hesitation.

Stuart Clarke – I’m intrigued how the caravans have got under the height restrictions.

Ann-Marie Wilkins – I have to pay £4 a day at Springwood to work. This is expensive so I might buy a caravan and live in the car park instead, therefore saving on parking charges.

Paul Hirst – let them stay there free for a week and in return they can tarmac over all the potholes in Huddersfield.

A Kirklees Council spokeswoman revealed why the council has not pursued the Travellers for cash to park at Springwood.

She said: “The basis of the council’s claim for possession of land occupied by Travellers is that Kirklees Council is the freeholder and had not provided permission to the Travellers to enter or remain on the land.

“The Travellers were therefore treated as trespassers.

“If the council charged the Travellers for parking on the car park it would be authorising their stay on the land. Therefore, the council would not be able to proceed for possession on the basis that they were trespassers on council land.

“The council’s claim for possession has been listed for hearing at Huddersfield County Court next Monday, at 12 noon.

“If the order is granted the travellers will be given 48 hours once the order is served to vacate the site. If not, a warrant will be issued with the County Court bailiffs for eviction.”