Extra security installed at key Peterborough redevelopment site - Cambridgeshire

From the Peterborough Telegraph

Extra security has been installed at a prime redevelopment site in Peterborough that has become a hot spot for Travellers and fly-tippers.

The new measures to stop Travellers gaining access to the former B & Q site in East Station Road have been installed by Enterprise Peterborough, after a number of caravans were moved off the land.

The action comes as a Peterborough City Council working group of councillors continues its efforts to identify an emergency camp site for Travellers to tackle the problems of illegal camps on open land, including the B & Q site.

The action taken so far has been praised, as the site is considered an important location for future development in the city.

A spokeswoman for Enterprise Peterborough said they had taken a number of measures to stop Travellers and fly tippers moving onto the site.

She said: “We have installed fencing around the land and a padlocked gate, which is protected by two tonne concrete boulders.”

Neil Darwin, chief executive at Opportunity Peterborough, said it was important to keep the site clear to encourage potential investors.

He said: “It’s important to keep the site clear, both for local residents and potential investors; this is the city’s prime development land so it needs to be safe and presentable.”

The cross-party group is chaired by Cllr John Fox who said: “There was a law made in 1994 allowing councils to set up a transit site for Travellers. The site would mean if they set up on other areas, police could move them on straight away, rather than have a lengthy process through the courts. At the moment Peterborough does not have a site like that.

“The group is looking at a number of sites across Peterborough. I have signed a confidentiality agreement, and can’t reveal where the sites are at the moment, but we are looking.

“Wherever the site is, the people living nearby may not be happy, but it will save the council a lot of money in the long run. I think it has cost something in the region of £60,000 to move Travellers on from inappropriate sites so far this year, and over a number of years that is a lot of money.

“When we come up with a site, we will put it before the cabinet.”