Councillors relieved after Travellers moved after two days - Surrey

From Get Surrey

Councillors will be asking what steps were taken by the police and authority officials after Travellers once again set up in Merstham this week.

The 30-strong group of caravans parked up in a car park at the sports ground in Battlebridge Lane, Merstham, on Saturday night (February 8) and stayed for 48 hours before moving towards Warlingham, where they have set up on land owned by Lidl.

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council officials cleaned up the mess left behind on Tuesday (February 11).

Merstham councillor Mark Brunt, said: "They came on Saturday night by cutting off the locks into the area. They obviously brought a lot of rubbish with them from wherever they had been working. They dumped that on the sports ground.

"It was all removed yesterday morning after they left. It costs the taxpayer money to dispose of that.

"Fortunately we didn't have to go through the courts this time which could have taken several weeks.

"We were fortunate in being able to work with the police to move them on in 48 hours. We were initially concerned they would be longer mainly because the police weren't able to move them on straightaway."

Good to see local council staff out in bad weather already clearing up after Travellers. Thank you
— Frank Kelly (@TnaFanFrank) February 11, 2014

Fellow Merstham councillor, Graeme Crome, will be asking the council for information about what steps were taken to remove the Travellers at a full Reigate & Banstead Borough Council meeting on Thursday (February 13).

Councillors also want to be able to move Travellers on behalf of Surrey County Council when they park on the county's land.

Last year, Reigate & Banstead had to spend £6,000 clearing up after Travellers who parked on Hooley Recreation Ground, in Hooley, and Brook Road Open Space, in Merstham .

The Travellers have now set up on the site of the old Good Companions pub at the junction of Tithe Pit Shaw Lane and Limpsfield Road in Hamsey Green ,near Warlingham, which is earmarked for a new Lidl supermarket.

A Lidl spokesman said: "We have been made aware of this and are taking appropriate steps to ensure that these vehicles are vacated from this site as a matter of urgency."