District council tells Travellers camped on Newark's Cleveland Square common it wants its land back

Travellers camped on the Cleveland Square common in Newark have been told by the district council that they want their land back.

Around half a dozen caravans and motorhomes still occupy Cleveland Square, which is in the middle of the Hawtonville Estate. The site appears clean and tidy.

Newark and Sherwood District Counil said: “On Saturday, after carrying out welfare checks on the group located on Cleveland Square, the district council gave the encampment notice that we wanted them to vacate our land.

"If the group does not comply with that request within the timescale given, we will seek an order from the courts to enforce compliance with that request."

The Travellers arrived on Friday.

The council previously said: "It is our belief that this site is absolutely not appropriate for an encampment as it is in the middle of a residential setting and on land used by our local community.

"We would like to re-assure residents that we take the issue of illegal encampments, such as this, extremely serious and will do all we can to monitor this site over the weekend and then in partnership with the police, will seek legal advice to discuss the options available to us to move the encampment on as quickly as possible.”

District councillor for Devon Ward, Laurence Goff said: "I am compelled to reply as one of the local district councillors for Newark Devon ward, which takes in Cleveland Square play area.

"Why are there not enough suitable transit sites in Newark and Sherwood district, for Gypsies and Travellers that can safely be used in the first place? We need to look and found ways to improve better alternative campsites that are badly needed.

"It must be our overarching aim is to ensure fair and equal treatment of Travellers by coming up with other locations with more investment by district and national government."