A Travellers’ group that move on to Dane Valley Green last night (November 28) has been served notice to quit.
Several caravans and vehicles are at the site, close to the SureStart building.
Ward councillors Gary Taylor and Gary Hillman informed Thanet council after being contacted by worried residents.
The council’s community safety team visited the green today and served the notice, giving the group until Friday to leave.
Checks
Cllr Lin Fairbrass, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Environmental Services, said: “Officers from the Council’s Community Safety team went to inspect the site this morning and counted 4 caravans and a number of vehicles. This afternoon, the team undertook the necessary welfare checks and subsequently served a S77 notice requiring them to leave the site.
“If those present do not leave the site within the stated period, then the council will apply to the courts for their immediate removal. This is the legal process that the council needs to follow with every traveller incursion.”
Targeted
In June ward councillors Hillman and Taylor appealed to Thanet council for a ditch to be cut along the perimeter and the soil used to make mound, sewn with wild flowers, as a preventative measure.
The site has been targeted by Traveller groups several times this year.
On April 5 a group moved caravans onto the site and left on April 13 – apparently to another spot on the isle.
A second Traveller community arrived soon after and did not leave until May 3.
On June 27 Travellers who had set up at Jackey Bakers field in Ramsgate were moved on – but set a ‘new’ encampment up at Dane Park in Margate. They were moved on the same night and eventually set up camp in Herne Bay.
A further encampment arrived in July.
The costs
If Thanet council has to apply to the courts for an eviction notice it will cost some £226. If further hearings are necessary, this can go up to £355 each time.
There have been some 84 illegal encampments in Thanet this year, the majority of these being Traveller camps, compared to just two in 2014.
Read here: Dramatic rise of Traveller encampments in Thanet may force ‘official site’ review