Traveller group leaves Dane Park for Oval Lawns

A Traveller group has left Dane Park

The majority of Travellers who had been at Dane Park since August 4 have moved today (August 12) to the Oval lawns at Eastern Esplanade.

Some of the group were previously at Tivoli park,

Two Traveller motorhomes at the Westcliff in Ramsgate have also left.

Welfare checks are due to be carried out ‘imminently’ with a further group at the Marina Esplanade car park on Ramsgate seafront. say Thanet council.

A court order for removal in regard to the Dane Park families was secured on Friday with bailiffs set to move in today if needed.

Photo Ken Wraight

Some 16 caravans were at the site but most have now vacated with around five remaining. Around 11 are now at the Oval. The football pitch at Dane Park has suffered some damage and discarded rubbish now needs to be cleared. Padlocks at the goal areas have been broken and human waste has been left at the site.

Photo Ken Wraight

An action plan is being developed by Thanet council to deal with the growing number of unauthorised Traveller encampments in the district.

A working group has been set up to investigate the issue and  look at areas including Traveller accommodation, security measures and increased enforcement at high risk areas.

An update from the council’s Travellers Review sub committee is due on October 22. The  Overview and Scrutiny committee meeting will take place at the council offices in Cecil Street from 7pm. Members of the public may attend.

Unauthorised camps have risen from two in 2013 to 50 last year. The latest move to the bandstand brings this year’s unauthorised camps to 41.

There are currently no authorised pitches in Thanet district. The nearest pitches are in Dover and Canterbury.

A report commissioned by Thanet council says the district should provide five Traveller pitches -to accommodate 10 caravans – in the five year period up to 2022 and then an additional two pitches – equating to four more caravans- by 2031.

A spokesman from the Friends, Families and Travellers organisation has previously told The Isle of Thanet News that a lack of official sites is forcing groups to pull up on public land and not enough is being done to address that issue.

23 Comments

  1. Council hand out £80 fines to the tax paying community but do absolutely nothing to these people, you should be ashamed for not mentioning this!!!

    • Once again ‘these people’such a racist statement. These are people who are trying to keep their traditions alive and all they want is somewhere to park and live. It is not their fault that neither the county nor District councils will provide an official site for them to use but preggers to treat them constantly like criminals and denying their children a stable home and education. Give them a permanent site it would cost no more than had been easier m wasted on solicitors etc in hounding them.

      • It’s not racist against these people or their nomadic way of life. It’s just the disgusting mess and Antisocial behaviour that goes on. Wherever they pitch up camp. If there was some consideration for the communities they visit the n prejudices wouldn’t be so bad if at all.

        • From previous reports they have asked for rubbish bins etc to keep their site clean and tidy but the Thanet council refused them preferring to clean up after they leave. So once again they are being blamed for something not of their making. Making assumptions based on preconceived prejudices is racist no matter how you try to dress it up

          • When they were on the Western Esplanade in Ramsgate they threw their rubbish over the cliff top. A volunteer abseiled down the cliff face to retrieve detritus that had snagged halfway down.
            They are worse than animals!

          • My last comment on this but in reply to the person who supports the travellers seemingly. Not related to the travellers in Thanet I know but a news item in todays paper regarding the tragic death of PC Harper who was killed by being dragged along by a car after he tried to apprehend some burglars. “Ten people were arrested including a thirteen year old boy. Officers raided a nearby travellers camp about two miles from the scene….! Nuff said ?

      • This is the snowflake comment that was inevitable. Why should I, and the majority of people in the area who pay council tax, park appropriately and dispose of our rubbish properly, pay for these morons who are just parasites to our society.
        Keeping with their traditions? Not at my expense!!

      • Why should we they have no respect, leaving their rubbish every time they move on to the cost of the law abiding tax payer they should be hounded until the pay their way ,like the rest of us.

        • Just to say a group of caravans arrived on a sports ground in West Wickham Thursday evening and were seen off at 8am Friday morning. If Bromley council can sort this out quickly, why not Thanet?

  2. Blooming waste of TDC and our money on these dirty scoundrels. Why doesn’t the Council communicate with other councils that have had similar problems with these lawless people and get a blanket ban on all public land in Thanet. The courts can issue orders that would stop this stupid game of cat and mouse antics. What a useless council we have here in Thanet that just shrugs off it’s duty of care for residents and tourists alike.

    • Bromley council took action last year after several camps and considerable damage including a dead dog on a rugby pitch where they had trashed the club house

  3. I read so many comments about the behaviour of these people who are making a mockery of Thanet council and the authorities. So much rubbish, human waste left and damage done. This was an issue that was dealt with by Bromley Council problem after many encampments and one terrible one where a rugby clubs premises were trashed, the grounds ruined and even a dead dog left amongst all the excrement etc. I understand that now the Council have powers to move them on IMMEDIATELY and indeed this was done only last week when a few caravans arrived and the Police, Council officials and Security moved them on before they had time to settle. Surely Thanet Council can do similar, try asking other councils how they deal with it perhaps? I considered buying an unregistered, untaxed Transit so I could avoid paying to park in Dreamland car park. Seriously though, surely this can not just go on and on.

  4. Why should land be put aside for travellers? They pay no taxes or put anything into the community. Only thing they contribute is human excrement. If I went on a caravaning holiday I would have to pay for my pitch, why don’t they? Scum, pure scum!!!

  5. It’s about time the law clamped down on these scum. If you or I were to camp in some of these places we would be arrested and charged. They break open padlocks and gate, cut down bollards etc to gain access.leave rubbish and human waste everywhere.
    Granted not all of them are like this, but the ” good ones ” should help themselves by “shopping” the bad ones..

  6. If I was to park up anywhere that was not authorised by the council,; parks, car parks, esplanades etc, I would be taken to court and fined heavily.
    The only reason these scum are not, is that the police and council officials are afraid of them. A good place to start would tbe confiscating their expensive motor homes and vehicles, which, if they have no fixed abode, would not be taxed or insured. A look at their tax affairs would be in order too!
    I wonder though, if comments like mine would attract comments to the contrary from the liberal snowflakes who abound society these days!M

  7. It’s about time TDC passed a bylaw to make it illegal to just set up a camp where ever they wish and also fine them for the mess they leave

  8. Thanet council is like the government fat cats at the top fill ther pockets with our money and do a runner and by there littlehouse in the countryside couldn’t orgnis a pi** up in a brury
    .

  9. Travellers and other minority groups who break the law are of no interest to our government and councils as they pose no risk to them. However regular people who are law abiding are the ones who need to be controlled. If the law abiding masses started to misbehave it’s a threat to the establishment. That’s why we get fined and punished without question while the scum of the country get away with it.

  10. I think people of thanet are missing a trick here. If we all get together and park in numbers anywhere we want,TDC will leave us alone. If we all litter together in a large group TDC will leave us alone TDC will only come after you or fine you if you are on your own, live in thanet , pay TDC wages ……who are the mugs ??

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