Traveller problems

[D5equj5]

I see "travellers" have set-up in Palmer Park again.

[ChipbuttyG]

You would think by now the council would have security at our parks sorted.....

[Fed-up]

Apparently they used the temporary barriers for the swimming pool construction to their advantage.

[mikejee]

I still think illegally parked caravans should be treated in the same way as can abandoned cars be treated - removed and crushed. You could allow the occupants to get out first of course, though somehow I think if this was threatened they might mysteriously move

[windrush]

Securing public places is difficult as you have to leave access to the general public otherwise it stops being a public park.

Pete.

[ChipbuttyG]

Yes but the public don't need access large enough to get a caravan in.

[chris_j_wood]

Yes but the public don't need access large enough to get a caravan in.

Absolutely. In most cases all they really need is access wide enough for a pedestrian, bike or wheelchair.

Certainly after the last episode of travellers on the park behind my house (which must be three years ago now) the council built an earth bund between it and the road, and (with one exception) made the entrances too narrow for cars. The one exception is the one the council use to get their maintenance vehicles onto the park, which is secured with a rather flimsy, but locked, removable bollard. Despite my doubts about that, it does seem to have worked. I'm not sure what the difference is between my park and the one in Caversham.

If only it was effective at stopping the local youths who delight in driving motor bikes around the park at night, but that is another story.

[ChipbuttyG]

Yes, they did manage to get on Westfield Park in Cav by removing the lock on the rather flimsy bollard. At least that was replaced with something a little more substantial, although I'm not convinced it's strong enough if travellers wanted to gain access again.

Hills Meadow car park is a strange one. Time and time again the travellers just break the lock on the left hand height restricted barrier to allow access for their caravans. The council just replace the broken lock once they're evicted (repeat to nauseum). Many people have suggested rising bollards in it's place. But, well over 5 years later, nothing has been done.

Earth bunds do work well - it has stopped the encampments on Portman Road.

[Ollycat]

Yes, they did manage to get on Westfield Park in Cav by removing the lock on the rather flimsy bollard. At least that was replaced with something a little more substantial, although I'm not convinced it's strong enough if travellers wanted to gain access again.

Hills Meadow car park is a strange one. Time and time again the travellers just break the lock on the left hand height restricted barrier to allow access for their caravans. The council just replace the broken lock once they're evicted (repeat to nauseum). Many people have suggested rising bollards in it's place. But, well over 5 years later, nothing has been done.

Earth bunds do work well - it has stopped the encampments on Portman Road.

At least Hills Meadow is tarmac, so it's easy to clean up after them, and they don't wreck any football/cricket pitches...makes you wonder if they have a preference for grass, and tarmac is a last resort?

[windrush]

Yes but the public don't need access large enough to get a caravan in.

If, like we were once, they only have a motorcaravan as their only transport they do but I see your point. With having a van there are many places where we are unable to access because of either height or width barriers.

Pete.

[mikejee]

Normally I cannot stand the ridiculous Rees Mogg, but here he is definitely saying the right thing:

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/cri ... s-commons/

[ChipbuttyG]

JR-M said "It is really important that we are all equal under the law, and it is fundamental that the law is carried out by the police."

Yep.

[ChipbuttyG]

Travellers were in Tesco Napier Road car park, at the far end on Friday.

[C.A.Versham]

In case you are thinking of taking a stroll along the river path at Caversham the public car park is now full of caravans. There is quite a substantial barrier there but clearly it must have been opened somehow.

There is also a rather decrepit boat moored outside of the Crowne Plaza with its name obliterated. Are there waterborne Travellers?

[Pooneil]

Are there waterborne Travellers?

Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones is of "bargee" origin and says his was the first generation of his family to be born on dry land.

[ChipbuttyG]

A couple of years ago I witnessed travellers on Richfield Avenue trying to break into the land next to the garden centre. They were all parked up in the retail units over the road (near Indespension) , whilst a van came tearing out (with rope trailing behind) of the lane where you go into the Guest Area at the festival.

It was very lucky nobody was on that path at that time or there could have been a terrible accident. They were all laughing and joking. It makes me think they really enjoy it. Which is why spending an initial £2.54m on a transit site with luxuries seems even more ludicrous. Just supply them with a scrap bit of land near the tip, no water, no electricity. There you go.

[KeithW]

A positive traveller story...

I'm clearing out a lot of junk, headed for the tip. Anything which might be useful to someone I put on the footpath, the rest on our front path, piled up till I fetch the car.

Small lorry rocks up and two blokes take the footpath stuff (which included a Baby Belling cooker and some thick cable) then sorted through the rest, taking metal, cloth, tins of various stains etc. Result! Now I only need one tip run!

[C.A.Versham]

Hope it works out OK KeithW but some have a habit of taking stuff, stripping the copper and leaving the leftovers for others to clear up when they leave a site.

[ChipbuttyG]

I have a friend who does clearances and he says the problem with travellers taking items is, they do it free of charge, but will then dump what they don't want.

[ChipbuttyG]

Travellers still on Richfield Avenue after being turfed off Rivermead.

[Mayfield]

There were travellers moved into George Steet last weekend, in it was reported on the local group that Gypsies had moved in and there was more discussion about them being called `Gypsies than the amount of rubbish etc….

[windrush]

Our travellers have been in the station car park for over a year now, they have skips supplied and a couple of portaloos. Recently the council put up a height barrier so they can't get out now anyway even if they wanted to.

Pete.

[mikejee]

I am sure they would have no trouble doing a demolition job to get out if they wanted to.
I would agree with complaints about them being called gypsies, if anything it should be "Irish"

[lizwing]

How does that help anybody though? Presumably there’s a loss of parking spaces now and you’ll never get rid of them. You’re paying for those skips and portaloos don’t forget.

[windrush]

How does that help anybody though? Presumably there’s a loss of parking spaces now and you’ll never get rid of them. You’re paying for those skips and portaloos don’t forget.

The council say that while they are not causing problems they are happy for them to stay there rather than move them on only to have them set up somewhere else in the Peak District or the National Park and cause issues with rubbish etc. The car park was never that well used anyway so they haven't made much difference really. I can't comment about their nationality as I haven't encountered any personally, the ones we had years ago were mostly well spoken and polite and the kids clean and quite well behaved.

Pete.

[ChipbuttyG]

Let's be honest. Nobody would mind travellers as much if they respected the law. The majority don't.

Time and time again they break onto public land, mainly our parks. The council over the last decade have failed miserably with preventative measures and every time they break in somewhere, the taxpayer has to food the bill for portaloos, rubbish removal and criminality that occurs.

[OLDMAN]

I am sure they would have no trouble doing a demolition job to get out if they wanted to.
I would agree with complaints about them being called gypsies, if anything it should be "Irish"

There not all Irish though

[mikejee]

I am sure they would have no trouble doing a demolition job to get out if they wanted to.
I would agree with complaints about them being called gypsies, if anything it should be "Irish"

There not all Irish though

I agree that they are not all Irish, but most, if not call, are not real gypsies

[OLDMAN]

I am sure they would have no trouble doing a demolition job to get out if they wanted to.
I would agree with complaints about them being called gypsies, if anything it should be "Irish"

There not all Irish though

I agree that they are not all Irish, but most, if not call, are not real gypsies

And that’s the problem

We had some travellers in Palmer Park a few years back and they were all French but a decent lot
They had some very fancy caravans (with bits that extended out etc) and their own loos and what have you
When they left it was all clear, only sign of their visit were the yellow patches of grass where they’d parked up

[ChipbuttyG]

There not all Irish though

I agree that they are not all Irish, but most, if not call, are not real gypsies

And that’s the problem

We had some travellers in Palmer Park a few years back and they were all French but a decent lot
They had some very fancy caravans (with bits that extended out etc) and their own loos and what have you
When they left it was all clear, only sign of their visit were the yellow patches of grass where they’d parked up

They still broke the law though.

[ChipbuttyG]

Travellers on Hills Meadow car park AGAIN.

[ChipbuttyG]

So a discussion with Richard Davies - Labour councillor for Caversham ward regarding illegal traveller encampments at Hills Meadow car park went well yesterday.

Without going into too much detail.

Some bloke offered up solutions and moaned about the inaction to secure Hills Meadow properly over the years. I agreed with him on this issue.

Richard Davies obviously looked through this chaps tweets. This chap had 'liked' some Islamophobic tweet.

So Richard then deflected the issue in hand and changed the subject to him liking this tweet. He then accused me of being his "friend" and "ally" just because I was agreeing with him about the councils inaction over illegal traveller encampments.

It was all rather bizarre. I was going to say it's not the sort of behaviour I expect from a councillor, but in this day and age it is.....

[spectrum64]

This chap had 'liked' some Islamophobic tweet.

I think it was entirely valid to bring this up. Someone who has liked or posted racist or xenophobic comments should be called out for it.

It's wrong though to tar you with the same brush if you are unconnected.

[ChipbuttyG]

This chap had 'liked' some Islamophobic tweet.

I think it was entirely valid to bring this up. Someone who has liked or posted racist or xenophobic comments should be called out for it.

It's wrong though to tar you with the same brush if you are unconnected.

Exactly my point. I've got nothing to do with this person. I don't follow them, never had any dialogue with them before. But he accused me of being a "friend" and "ally" because we were agreeing about the council's ineptitude when it comes to illegal traveller encampments.

[Mayfield]

So a discussion with Richard Davies - Labour councillor for Caversham ward regarding illegal traveller encampments at Hills Meadow car park went well yesterday.

Without going into too much detail.

Some bloke offered up solutions and moaned about the inaction to secure Hills Meadow properly over the years. I agreed with him on this issue.

Richard Davies obviously looked through this chaps tweets. This chap had 'liked' some Islamophobic tweet.

So Richard then deflected the issue in hand and changed the subject to him liking this tweet. He then accused me of being his "friend" and "ally" just because I was agreeing with him about the councils inaction over illegal traveller encampments.

It was all rather bizarre. I was going to say it's not the sort of behaviour I expect from a councillor, but in this day and age it is.....

I think in your shoes I would write or email the person or authority in question and underline that you have no previous contact or relationship with the person concerned, so there’s a paper trail ….