From the Peterborough Telegraph
A large group of Travellers have moved on to a vacant site in the centre of Peterborough just two months after its entrance was secured with concrete bollards.
About 14 caravans have set up on the former B&Q store site in East Station Road, which is earmarked for major redevelopment.
Peterborough City Council officials say they are monitoring the situation and will decide shortly whether to make an eviction order for the group.
A council spokesman said: “We are aware of the situation and we are carrying out the necessary health and welfare assessments before we make a decision on whether to seek an eviction notice or not.
“We anticipate being able to make that decision early next week.”
It is not the first time that a Traveller camp has been set up there. In August last year council staff were forced to remove a Traveller camp from the site, which was then cleaned up.
And in November 2013 staff from council service provider Enterprise installed fencing around the site and a padlocked gate, protected by two bollards.
A spokesman for Enterprise Peterborough said: “We believe entry to the site was gained by moving the concrete defence barriers and cutting the security lock at the main gate.”
The incident comes as a council cross-party 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 group is chaired by Councillor John Fox who said: “The site would mean if they set up on other areas, police could move them on straight away.”
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