Travellers move on – but leave trail of destruction

The large group of travellers who were camped on playing fields to the south of York College departed on Wednesday 25th July, but there is now a big clean-up and repair job to do,

Fencing has been damaged, playing fields have been churned up, cut vegetation has been flytipped and there is evidence of the nature reserve having been used as a toilet.

Local councillors have requested a meeting with York College, All Saints School and Council officers to discuss what steps can be taken to reduce the risk of further traveller incursions.

Travellers arrive on playing fields

A large group of travellers have again set up camp on playing fields to the south of York College. It seems that they gained access through the gate next to the changing room block on Sim Balk Lane.

The Police and the council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement team have been made aware so that the necessary action can be taken.

A similar incursion in May 2022 resulted in a large quantity of cut vegetation being flytipped in a nearby nature reserve.

Travellers move on, but…

The travellers who occupied a playing field at the rear of the Revival estate have moved on, but they have left a large amount of rubbish behind. A chicken was also found wandering around in the debris.

The council’s cleansing team has been tasked with the clean-up job. Local councillors have also asked that the gates and bollards that the travellers smashed through are secured as a matter of urgency.

Travellers served with notice to leave

The Council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement team have issued the travellers occupying land next to the green lane in Dringhouses with a ‘direction to leave’ notice requiring them to leave by 17:00 on Wednesday 24 July.

Should they fail to adhere to this direction, the council will apply for a Court Order to remove them, if they don’t leave at that point bailiffs will be instructed to physically remove them from the land.

The Neighbourhood Enforcement team has been sent photographs of the human excrement that is littering the paths and the nature area and they have been asked to arrange for the mess to be cleaned up.

Local councillors have also asked that the gates and bollards that the travellers broke through to gain access to the site – starting with the metal ‘Farm Access’ gate off Sim Balk Lane – are properly secured.

Travellers set up camp in Dringhouses

We have been contacted by a number of local residents who are concerned about a traveller camp that has appeared on a football pitch at the rear of York College. It is located off a cycle and footpath to the south of the ‘Revival’ housing estate off the Askham Bar roundabout.

A particular concern is the fact that a wooden bollard has been removed where the cycle path meets the green lane path. Vehicles are now driving along this well-used walking and cycling route.

The Police, York College and City of York Council’s Neighbourhood Enforcement team have been notified.

Travellers move off Moor Lane site

The traveller caravans that have been occupying council land on Moor Lane vacated the site on Wednesday evening. The job now begins to clean up the site and make it secure – at council taxpayers’ expense.

Some black bags left by the gate have been collected, but when Stephen walked round the site on Thursday evening it didn’t take long to find black bags and other items that had been dumped in bushes.

Some rubbish has been cleared from the site

Some rubbish has been cleared from the site

But there is still rubbish left to clear

But there is still rubbish left to clear

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a large amount of green waste that the travellers have left behind.

Garden waste dumped by the travellers

Garden waste dumped by the travellers

 

 

 

 

 

The immediate priority is for the site to be made secure, and Stephen has asked for this to be done urgently.

Travellers fail to leave Moor Lane site

Caravans remain despite notice to leave

Caravans remain despite notice to leave

Travellers who are occupying council-owned land on Moor Lane have failed to leave the site despite being issued with a ‘Direction to Leave’ notice last week. The notice expired on 10th August.

Legal avenues are now being pursued, beginning with the matter being brought before Magistrates later this week.

We will post further updates as and when they are available.

Labours traveller sites revealed

Secret report reveals Labour plans

One of the most controversial aspects of Labours Draft Local Plan for York was the propsed provision for Travellers.

Last year, some landowner’s spotted the opportunity to identify land for use by caravan dwellers but later withdrew them when the “Green Belt” designation of the sites had been undermined.

This happened at both Wetherby Road/Knapton (Showpeople) and Dunnington (Travellers).

The York council was then left with a shortfall of around 60 pitches. If they do not identify sites for them, it is likely that their Plan will not be supported by an Inspector at a Hearing in Public later in the year.

Behind closed doors logo The Labour Councils response was, typically, to table a report at the last minute at a Cabinet meeting held earlier in the week. The highly contentious proposals were not made available to the all party working group which met the previous week, effectively ruling out any chance of consensus on the issue.

Labour propose to establish new traveller sites at:

  • Osbaldwick – East of Metcalf Lane ST7
  • Huntington – North of Monks Cross ST8
  • Rawcliffe – Clifton Moor ST14
  • Heslington/Wheldrake – Whinthorpe ST15

All these are Green Belt sites.

The principal of housing development on them will be bitterly contested by residents at the public inquiry.

Even if one or two are approved (they don’t need to be as York has more than enough brownfield land to satisfy demand for the next 25 years or more) developers have said that the viability of these huge new housing estates would be jeopardised by the inclusion of traveller camps.

The Council should have included the new industrial areas that it has identified as potential sites for 2 or 3 small caravan sites. Travellers, perhaps more than any other group, typify the need for “live/work” units. Many are involved in salvage or surfacing work which is a use more appropriate for industrial areas. Others may require good access to schools. Essentially these communities need to have a choice of location to meet their differing needs.

The York Council has made a major blunder by slipping its proposals into the public realm in such a way as to avoid any debate.

The decision sheet from the meeting earlier in the week has been published.

The traveller paper is noticeable by its absence. (It has now been added but is very difficult to find and is not included in the “Newly Published” list).

Residents have a right of access to important papers like these.

It is another example of the Council ignoring its constitution and adopting a secretive, bunker mentality.

In the interests of openness you can download a copy of the paper from our web site by clicking here.

Breaking News – York Council abandons Traveller and Showman’s site proposals

 

The York Council is withdrawing its proposals to establish traveller sites at Dunnington and on Malton Road.

The Council is, therefore, still looking for sites for 59 pitches.

It has also confirmed that it will not allocate land on Wetherby Road (near Knapton) for use as a Travelling Showman’s Site.

It is still looking for a suitable Showman’s site but has reduced the requirement to 8 plots of which two would be accommodated by expanding an existing site at Elvington.

Details of the changes can be read by clicking here (Para 8)

Concerns still remain for the sites in question as their inclusion for development, in the first Draft of the Local Plan, has brought into question whether they will be retained in the formal “Green Belt” when it is adopted.