Residents may refuse to pay council tax unless Travellers problem solved - Yorkshire

From the Hull Daily Mail

FED-UP residents are considering refusing to pay their council tax until the problem of Travellers descending on fields close to their homes is addressed. Those living on the Boothferry estate have seen Travellers come and go on Burnham playing fields seven times in the past few years and three times on land off Woolwich Drive in the past two years.

Peter Corlass and Syd Renfree have been outspoken about the problem and now feel they may need to take more direct action to get something done.

Mr Corlass, of Anlaby Park Road South, said: "The council just put tree trunks down, which the Travellers easily moved away. They really need to put up a fence or a mound to keep them out. The council isn't listening to people. We are thinking of organising a big meeting with residents and refuse to pay our council tax until this is sorted."

Mr Corlass believes it would make more financial sense to prevent the Travellers moving on to the land in the first place.

He said: "They keep throwing back at us that they have no money, but it must cost a lot to clean up after the Travellers each time. It's ridiculous. When they were here last month, they left rubbish everywhere and both human and animal excrement.

"We have had meetings with the council and councillors in the past but not enough has happened. We know the Travellers will be back."

Mr Renfree, also of Anlaby Park Road South, took a series of photographs of the mess left by the Travellers last month.

He said: "The site was left in a terrible state. Bits of white paper were among the bushes and covered in human excrement. The open green areas were covered in horse droppings.

"I contacted the council regarding the filth being left in the area, by both humans and horses. The response has left me in total despair of a solution to the problem.

"I understand they have to go through a process, but for the love of God, change the process so that law-abiding people feel supported."

A group of about six caravans and half a dozen horses set up on a car park close to Woolwich Drive last month.

An inquiry was launched by the council's west area committee last summer after the handling of Travellers on another site off the Boothferry estate. About 30 caravans parked on the council-owned playing field near homes for four weeks.

Since then, an earth mound has been created to prevent vehicles entering Burnham playing fields but the Travellers have moved on to a car park close by.

There also remains frustration at the amount of time it takes to remove Travellers from illegal sites, which can take several days to process through the courts.

The city council has to apply for an Immediate Possession Order to have them removed.

But the process for evicting them is not straightforward.

In English law, authorities cannot remove Travellers from council-owned land immediately. They must first:

Show the Travellers are on the land without consent.

Make enquiries regarding the health and welfare of the group and the children's education.

Ensure the Human Rights Act 1998 has been complied with.

Follow a set procedure that involves proving ownership of the land, giving details of the illegal encampment, serving notices and summonses in order to successfully obtain a court order to evict them from the site.