Volunteer duo clear Chine site and give Traveller group advice for future clearances

Becky and Maxine have cleared the site on the West Cliff

Two Ramsgate volunteers have bagged up waste on the Westcliff and spoken to Travellers currently camped there in the hope a friendly approach will help keep the area clean.

Maxine Morgan of the Western Undercliff Community Group and Becky Wing of the Addington Street Community Group, said they felt leading by example and being friendly would be a better way to work with the Traveller community.

Photo Nik Mitchell

The group moved on to the site on March 14 after leaving the Sunken Gardens on the promenade at Westgate and Westbrook.

Thanet council issued notice to quit the same day. 

However, the notice has been ignored and Thanet council is now awaiting a court hearing to force eviction, according to the Thanet Community Safety Partnership.

Maxine and Becky took action after some residents raised concerns over waste building up at the Chine.

Becky said: “Travellers had bagged a lot of stuff but there was still a lot scattered about and we were worried this would be blown about, so we bagged this and have left it in a convenient place for Thanet council to collect.”

Both Maxine and Becky are regular volunteers for litter picking and gardening. Maxine said: It is something we often do to keep our community looking fabulous.  We were able to talk with a number of the travellers who were very polite and a couple of the kids asked them what we were being paid.  We told them nothing and  we just love our community spaces and like to keep them clean’.

The pair say they hope the friendly approach will help reduce  rubbish at the site, They have left rubbish bags and suggested a spot for the full up bags to be left at for collection.

10 Comments

    • Indeed, considering they asked for rubbish bags when they moved to Dane Valley, Councillor Taylor obliged & then they departed leaving it like a tip anyway-as they have done at every site they have been at multiple times it doesn’t seem likely. Like a lot of people these days they seem to like living in filth & have no qualms about the damage being done to the environment & others lives from pure laziness/not caring-like the woman recently caught on CCTV I think in Cliftonville throwing her junk food packaging on the floor, when she was just a few foot away from a bin.

  1. Well I can only hope that the so-called travellers are shamed by the actions of these two intrepid ladies – but somehow I doubt it.

    There has been sufficient public shaming of the travellers but they really do not care. They only move from one site to another because they know someone will clear up after they have left so they can move back to the same site six weeks later !

    • They move from one place to another because they are forced to move one place to another. If they had a transit site they could remain in one place and maintain the site. The council have obligation to accommodate these people. Statutorily they are considered homeless.

      • Please explain why they chose to leave every temporary site piled up with their own shit and other waste ?

        Do they see it as some sort of punishment to the local residents and council for not providing them with a permanent site ?

  2. Very good lady’s

    Have the travellers paid any taxes to TDC or is their rubbish picked up for free. Last time TDC pick stuff up for me that was to big for my car I had to pay for it on top of my council tax.

  3. Becky and Maxine are rightly proud of their area and maybe the good example approach will stick but I doubt it! Some of the travellers along the Manston airport fence had their horses so close to the road they could have been killed. I doubt many of them care about the tons of rubbish they leave! For the past 30 years I have watched councils waste thousands battling the disruption travellers inflict on everyone in the area they invade.

  4. Well done ladies, let us hope that your approach produces results.
    Time will tell on this one, but in the meantime I shall not be holding my breath waiting.
    Forgot to say – Thank you.

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