Recreation ground fenced off to prevent Gypsy incursions - Surrey

From Get Surrey

Metal fencing has been placed around a Molesey recreation ground to stop further Gypsy invasions.

Elmbridge Borough Council wants to prevent any more incursions following an incident which sparked a petition from people living in West Molesey.

Nearly 80 people signed up to put pressure on the council to ensure that Hurst Recreation Ground and Hurst Pool are "fully secured against incursions and illegal encampments", after Travellers set up camp on Molesey Hurst Recreation Ground at the beginning of June, before moving on to Waterside Drive in Walton.

The council set to work alongside the police and was granted a court order to repossess the land in Molesey but the group had already moved on.

At the time temporary concrete boulders were fitted at the site, but now permanent metal fencing has been put up.

The petition, finally put before Elmbridge’s cabinet on September 18, stated that security would: “Ensure that local residents feel safe using the Rec and will prevent antisocial behaviour, noise and litter associated with these illegal encampments.

“It will also prevent our council tax being used to pay for court involvement in the future and the costs involved in clearing up.”

Leisure and culture portfolio holder Cllr Jan Fuller admitted residents living nearby "did have a difficult time".

“The Travellers originally moved on to Hurst Pool car park. They were approached by DC Leisure who informed them they would be instructing bailiffs within 24 hours.

“The Travellers immediately chopped down the wooden posts and moved on to the recreation ground.

“The rules for us as a council are very different to those of companies or individuals.

“We are required by law to do a welfare assessment.

“We finally got it to court and the Travellers left the land the evening before.”

Cllr Fuller said the council immediately sent people in to clear up the land, and they have since put in metal security posts around the recreation ground, although not on the Molesham Way entrance as it would restrict DC Leisure vehicles, working for the company which maintains the pool on behalf of the council.

“We are very anxious to give [residents] peace of mind for the future,” she added.

Cllr Fuller told the meeting it would be very difficult to restrict the entrances to all the parks and recreation grounds in the borough because by their nature they were open areas.

“We have since come up with new Traveller protocol with police,” she said.

“With this invasion we only had one officer designated to be able to deal with it.

“We now have three officers in place.”