Travellers Depart from Ealing Common Again
Camp moved from Elthorne Park earlier in the week
Travellers all leaving #EalingCommon currently following eviction & partnership work with @EalingCouncil ?? pic.twitter.com/799tOyxAvs
— Northfield SNT (@MPSNorthfield) August 10, 2017
The travellers who took up residence on Ealing Common this Tuesday (8 August) have now moved on. The stop was the latest in their tour around Ealing's green spaces with the latest group previously having been at Elthorne Park before swiftly being moved on again.
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 were quickly at the scene and parked up close to the encampment.
On Tueday evening the group were moved on and in convoy made their way from Elthorne Park along Boston Road.
They travelled past The Viaduct and then returned to Ealing Common.
Ealing Police promptly served them with a code of conduct letter and said they would work with Ealing Council to remove them if necessary.
Over the last few weeks various groups have been spotted on Ealing Common, Cleveland Park, Gurnell Leisure Centre, Norwood Green as well as others in Acton. 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.
(Elthorne Park travellers: all photos courtesy Liz Jenner)
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.
August 10, 2017