Travellers Move to Elthorne Park Now

Another camp has taken up residence on Ealing's open land

( Elthorne Park travellers: all photos courtesy Liz Jenner)

The travellers are continuing their tour around Ealing's green spaces with the latest group now next to Elthorne Park.

According to eye-witnesses around 20 or more caravans and vans accessed the open land from an alley way next to Elthorne school and sports centre.

Police are also parked up close to the encampment.

Over the last few weeks various groups have been spotted on Ealing Common, Cleveland Park, Gurnell Leisure Centre, Norbury Green as well as others in Acton.

It is not known at this stage whether this is a different group or the same one moving around the borough.

The police and council have worked alongside contractors Parkguard and the various convoys have generally moved on after a few days.

The council say that there is a process that must be followed before legal notices can be issued and possession of the site can be obtained so it is not practical to evict groups immediately.

Travellers have consistently appeared on Ealing Common over the last few years. A group encamped on Ealing Common this May and the previous year there was a lengthy legal battle to remove a group which resulted in them merely moving to the other side of the common. Persistent use of the common in this way has led to calls for measures to be taken to restrict access to the land for vehicles.

A council spokesperson has previously said:

“The council works with the police to take strong and immediate action against illegal encampments in the borough. We visited this site and carried out the checks and assessments the council is legally obliged to before serving the encampment with a direction to leave, under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. Any failure to comply with this would have seen the council seek a removal order from magistrates court.

“There has been an increase in the number of unauthorised encampments nationally and the council is working hard to ensure the duration of such camps appearing in the borough is minimised."

The council claim that the increasing number of encampments is a drain on local resources which they find frustrating. However they are obliged to consider each encampment on its merits and operate within the law.

They have responded to the increase by streamlining their processes to take back possession of land as soon as is legally and practically possible and add that they have an official site in the borough specifically for travellers.

We have asked Ealing Council for an update.

August 8th 2017