Row over stinking rubbish at camp - Derbyshire

From the Derby Telegraph

A GIANT Travellers' camp set up on Derby's Racecourse has left the city council under fire from residents who say it is not dealing with piles of stinking rubbish left in and around the site.

Among those furious is Catherine Felber, a mum-of-two, who has taken it upon herself to visit the park every day to collect the litter.

Mrs Felber, of nearby Essex Street, has collected 12 full bin bags of rubbish from the site since the camp – now made up of more than 30 vehicles and caravans – was set up last Monday night.

But she said it was the lack of support from the council and not the Travellers, who were "polite" to her, that was making her angry.

In response, the authority has said it will "monitor the site and remove any litter or rubbish on a daily basis".

Mrs Felber, who was nominated for this year's Community Champions award for her efforts to clean up city parks, said: "I have had absolutely no help from the council. The bags, waste and cartons have not been picked up. They should have come down every couple of days and got rid of the bags of rubbish.

"All I'm doing is picking up the litter. In and around the site there are about 40 bags of rubbish the litter is coming from."

Recent Travellers' camps on the Racecourse have included a 13-vehicle set-up in April 2011, and one with 12 in September 2010.

But the current camp is on a different scale – home to 74 men, women and children from the Ross family who got on to the site by removing wooden bollards and opening a barrier.

Sarah Nicholson, 45, of Huntingdon Green, also by the Racecourse, said she had lived in the area for several years and this was the largest camp she had seen.

She said: "The camp isn't fair on other park users. It's always like that when Travellers come on to the site. And they go to the toilet there."

Paul Marshall, 34, of Radnor Street, said he was annoyed at how the camp put youngsters off using the Steve Bloomer Artificial Turf Pitch on the site.

He said: "It's where some of the children from the estate go and should be able to feel safe but, at the moment, that's not the case."

Jimmy Ross, 28, said his family had a deal with Derby City Council which meant they had six weeks on the site.

Mr Ross said the authority had promised his family bins and portable toilets as he agreed the children had "left a bit of a mess".

However, he said these had not yet been delivered to them.

He added: "At the end of the six weeks they (the council) will see if they can get a site for us elsewhere in the Derbyshire area."

But Janie Berry, director of legal and democratic services, said the six-week claim was false.

She said notice to leave was served on the Travellers on Tuesday, June 18, with a court hearing about the situation set for today.

She said: "The court should make an order requiring the Travellers to leave immediately, but if they don't then we will apply for a court bailiff to evict them.

"The bailiff is likely to set a date for eviction for some time next week, but this date will be decided by the courts."

She added that "police and council staff were visiting the site on a daily basis".

The council was asked about Mr Ross's bins and portable toilet claims but did not respond to them.