Small group joined by others and now treated as three separate encampments

( residents photos)

What started as a small encampment on Ealing Common grew into a much larger one this week.

Local residents reported a few caravans arriving on what is now becoming a regular pitch on Tuesday 26th March.

They were joined by more on Wednesday and Thursday and around 21 vehicles in total were spotted there near the Tube station side of the Common on Thursday.

Local ward Councillor Joanna Dabrowska has once again been liasing with council officers and pollce over the the incursions

She said: '' As the encampment has grown, it is being treated as three separate encampments due to various times of arrival of different groups.

The Council will be proceeding with stage 2 of the eviction process. The local authority will be seeking to obtain a section 78 removal court order early next week (w/c 1st April) subject to court availability. If successful, they will be served to the first two groups to vacate the land in the following 24 hours. If the occupants do not comply, the Council will utilise bailiffs for the physical removal. This will may not be until the following week, depending on resources.''

Cllr Dabowska says: '' I still feel that an borough-wide injunction is a cost-effective deterrent for all public areas in the Borough, especially as these encampments have proved the point that the proposed barriers around two parts (out of six parts) of the Common would have been fruitless as the current visitors have occupied the parts of the common that would not have benefitted from the barriers. Metal barriers in other areas such as Gurnell Leisure Centre car park and Horsenden Hill Summit car park have been cut through/damaged to gain access earlier this year.''

The Police are monitoring the area and working in partnership with the local authority.

30th March 2019