The 27th Traveller incursion in Thanet this year has now been reported with yet another encampment at Jackey Bakers in Ramsgate.
The group have entered the playing field via the Sainsbury’s side entrance this evening (July 5).
It comes less than a fortnight after a previous group of Travellers were moved on from the site. Some 16 caravans are currently on the field.
Furious residents are in the process of notifying police and ward councillor Stuart Piper. Witnesses say the fence to the park has once again been pulled down.
The incursion comes days after residents handed a petition in to Thanet council demanding a secure barrier for the green which has been targeted on numerous occasions during the last three years.
Jackey Bakers has been used twice previously in June and once in May and by two separate groups last June. There was also a large encampment at the site in July 2016.
The process
Council land
For council-owned land Thanet council would need to obtain a ‘direction to leave’ order from magistrates’ court.
To do this the authority has to:
- Show that the gypsies/travellers are on the land without consent.
- Have regard to the general health and welfare of the group and the children’s education.
- Ensure that the Human Rights Act 1998 has been fully complied with.
The council must follow a set procedure that is based on Government guidance. This procedure includes proving ownership of the land, carrying out assessments for the health, welfare and education criteria, and assessing the impact of the encampment on its location and local neighbourhood.
Once these have been carried out the council can use this information for the service of notices and summonses to apply for a court order for eviction.
Private land
For privately-owned land the landowner can attempt to agree a leaving date with the travellers or take proceedings in the County Court under the Civil Procedures Rules 1998 to obtain a court order for their eviction as trespassers.
The landowner may be in breach of planning legislation and the Caravan Sites Act 1960 unless they have already obtained planning permission for a caravan site.
If there is no planning permission the council may take proceedings against the landowner to require removal of the illegally parked caravans.
Sainsburys should do something with that fence to make it secure and unaccessable to these travellers or jave the store open hrs reduced till something is done …. as a resident of the area im sick of the park being ruined fences smashed rubbish left human waste left its vile and runs the area and park down
If i drove thru that fence i would have police on my arse charging me for damage so why arent these and trepassing …. the council are rubbish all they give is excuse afta excuse
Give tht park back to the people let the people put up concrete barriers to prevent this re occuring cosging tax payers money each time
Its a joke
I’m with you all the way if it was us the police would charge us for damage etc
TDC get a court order and run all the travelers out of thanet once and for all . we are fed up with the mess and the cost . Thanet is going without services because of it .
FFS this is beyond a joke local residents can’t take there kids to a park because some free loading robbing scum who leave mess abandoned a dog witch ends up in near by school Nd nothing done that seeing Thanet districts Council look week and peefetic do something once and for all Nd make an example of this group look for criminal damage production for damage of fence then send in the RSPCA to investigate any animals last time we had abandoned one and b4 that vans leave bill the for cost of cleening and fine them for fly tipping see if we get any more on that fild
Oh what a surprise, they are back again ! Run roughshod through fence smashing it down. I don’t think it belongs to Sainsbury though. There is no entrance there either so a criminal act took place to gain access. A wide ditch is needed to stop them. Obviously a game as far as they are concerned but no game for the residents who have to put up with their crappy behaviours and intimidation. Come on TDC, something permanent needs to take place as those court orders are not much good.
Feelings are running very high. The grounds have not been secured or cleaned up properly after the last incursion. This is now becoming a health hazard with human excrement in to wooded area and local residents are really fed up with it. The council do nothing but pick up a few bags after getting them off and then lay low because the ones in charge are too cowardly to face the residents.
Last time they were here they smashed through the fence. The Council put up 2 bollards where they smashed through. How idiotic as it was obvious they would do the same again just further along. The council are either a bunch of idiots or think we are for putting up with this. Or perhaps they have some other agenda. Cannot understand why something is not done once and for all. I walk my dog here and the area I can walk him is getting smaller and smaller because of the caravans, the cars and vans zooming around the rest of the park, quad bikes with kids on driving all over, not to mention their dogs on the loose attacking other dogs.
But the council did spend money putting in a barrier on Highfield Road entrance to the woodland path to stop bikes. Money better spent on a dog waste bin there or on some metal fencing along the Sainsburys side of the park.
Don’t know why everyone seems to blame the council, they have to follow the rules set by the government. We should try to get the law changed to force the travellers to obey the rules that everyone else has to.
Do you work for the council or do you know someone who dose because if the council did the job properly first time in stead of trying to save money on silly bits of fencing the travelers wouldn’t be back there.