Council fights to remove Travellers

A council is going back to court to seek possession of land that continues to be occupied by Travellers.

The illegally-camped group, in five caravans, are defying an order to move off a play area and open space between Cedar Avenue and Lincoln Road, Newark. They have been there for two weeks.

Residents have reported finding used toilet paper in their gardens, and anti-social behaviour including cars being driven over the field. Rubbish has also been accumulating.

The land is owned by the charity, The Gilstrap Trust, of which Newark and Sherwood District Council is trustee. The council maintains the land.

It served an eviction order on Friday of last week giving the Travellers 24 hours to quit the site, but they refused to go.

The council blamed a lack of police resources to accompany private bailiffs to move them off the site.

'The group will be ordered to leave the site'

The council said this week: “On behalf of the Gilstrap Trust, Newark and Sherwood District Council has issued proceedings at Nottingham County Court to obtain a possession order against the unauthorised encampment in respect of Lincoln Road Playing Fields.

“Once the court order has been obtained, which is anticipated to be early next week, the group will be ordered to leave the site and if they fail to do so within the timescale specified in the order, eviction will be enforced by the county court bailiffs.

“The council will continue to work closely with the police to secure the earliest possible removal of this unauthorised encampment from the playing field.”

A council spokesman said notices had been served on the group notifying them of the court hearing on Monday where a judge will set out the timescale.

Nottinghamshire Police said it was working closely with the council to look at options for an appropriate resolution.