Traveller’s group leaves Dane Valley Green and moves on to Garlinge Rec then Westbrook

Police arrived at the green this morning

Police and council enforcement officers have evicted a Travellers group from Dane Valley green – but they have now stopped in Westbrook by the Sunken Gardens.

The group set up on the site on February 17. They had been parked at the Marina Esplanade car park in Ramsgate since February 11 after being evicted from the council-owned car park by Dreamland on the same day.

Around 20 caravans have now left the green after a removal notice was served.

Thanet council has confirmed prevention measures are being looked at for Dane Valley Green.

Dane Valley Green Photo John Cripps

A spokesman said: “We are looking at different options to help prevent unauthorised encampments at Dane Valley and other sites.”

The spokesman said work at Jackey Baker’s in Ramsgate, where £15,000 was spent installing a two metre high fence along the boundary, bollards that restrict access for vehicles to the public right of way, new gates and CCTV, has made a “big difference.”

The Dane Valley site will now need to be cleared. The group had requested a council skip when they first moved to the site and ward councillor Gary Taylor had provided waste bags.

A Thanet council spokesperson said: “Thanet District Council secured a court order for the removal of the unauthorised traveller encampment that was based at Dane Valley. The eviction took place this morning. Enforcement officers in partnership with Kent Police were in place to secure a number of sites across Thanet.

Site provision

Charity Friends, Families and Travellers say local authorities are not providing adequate land for Travellers to stop on with many families forced to pull up in public spaces and on private land. This leaves many with interrupted access to basic water and sanitation, education and healthcare.

A spokesman said: “We would recommend that the district council and local authority work with the Traveller community in the area to identify land that would be suitable for building new sites to accommodate these residents.”

The nearest authorised sites are in Aylesham, Dover and Canterbury.

Garlinge Rec Photo Laura Sullivan

Some of the group moved on to Garlinge Rec. Police were in attendance and it appears one vehicle got stuck by the wooden pillars.

Photo Ashalee Chapman

The group has now moved to Westbrook’s Royal Esplanade, by the Sunken Gardens.

8 Comments

  1. Something needs to be put in place to stop all these illegal encampements in Thanet by what looks like the same bunch of people each time. Waste left behind each time, why can’t they be made to get rid of it up the recycling tip in Manston Rd like we have to. If we fly-tipped like them we would be fined. The cost to the residents of Thanet is immense in regards to the dozen or so families in caravans.

  2. Before they are removed, why don’t the council send one of their litter enforcement officers in?.

  3. They (the travellers) are a protected species. A bit like bats. Very hard to remove without a lot of paperwork.

  4. Why do travellers always want to stay still? they are not even true Romany/Gyps they just itinerant vagrants.
    They wave the nondescript derivation travellers as if it in some way justifies their anti-social and criminal behaviour.

    And please no, ‘I dont understand’ rubbish I come from and still have relatives in the real Roma tradition, these people aren’t a racial group they are an anti-social group intent on criminality.

  5. Where did they come from before they came to Thanet as they are locals. What about spending the money on the local homeless. This whole situation shows the futility with chasing these travellers round Thanet and wasting taxpayers monies.

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