Update: Travellers leave Second Avenue field following notice to quit issued by council
Crime / Wed 5th Apr 2023 at 07:47pm
Update: The caravans and vehicles left Second Avenue yesterday afternoon and we are not aware of any further reports of unauthorised traveller encampments in the town.
Update: A Harlow Council spokesperson said: “Today we have served a notice of leave letter on the unauthorised traveller encampment on Second Avenue. This gives the encampment until Tuesday 11 April 2023 to leave the site or we will obtain a court order to force an immediate departure from the land.
“The Essex Police Rural Engagement Team has been on site today and will continue to make daily visits. We will continue to monitor the situation over the bank holiday period and visit the site working closely with the police.
“The action we take will always be about upholding the law, responding to the concerns of residents and businesses and protecting the town’s open spaces. It is not – and will never be about – persecuting any particular group of people or their way of life.”
AN UNLAWFUL traveller encampment has set up in Harlow.
The camp arrived at just after 7pm on Wednesday evening.
The location is the grass area off Second Avenue known as the Old Helipad.
A spokesperson for Harlow Council said: “We are aware that there is an unauthorised encampment on Second Avenue and we are working with Essex Police to resolve this quickly.
“We have a zero tolerance approach to unauthorised traveller encampments and we will use every legal power available to deal with this.
“A further update will follow.”
Harlow hasn’t had an encampment since November 2021.
Before that, Harlow had a particular challenging period that led to a unique high court injunction put in place.
More follows.
Tim
2023-04-05 23:44:27
Land a couple of chinooks there, they'll soon move
D
2023-04-06 04:20:41
Why is there not a specific area in which people wanting to live in traveller vans are able to setup and remain permanently? If there is, then why are they not using it?
Michael Szpakowski
2023-04-06 08:46:15
Tories locally, like Tories nationally - whipping up bigotry & racism. *Tories* are the problem- Tory austerity, Tory cuts, Tory privatisation, Tories driving wages down and refusing to build council housing, not Travellers or migrants.
Toni Barke
2023-04-06 08:54:10
They have been setting up there for yrs now if you don’t want them to then sort fencing they can’t get in !! And provide a place they can use !
Sue
2023-04-06 15:19:44
There are traveller sites in Harlow Unlike in neighbouring towns And sites in Broadley common/Nazeing/Roydon too Hopefully these will move on quickly without to much damage and mess that will cost the council money
David Forman
2023-04-06 23:57:20
The Conservative Party fake news that the last Labour council did not try to get another town-wide Traveller injunction has been exposed as a big lie. A Court of Appeal hearing on 3rd December 2019 made it impossible. But the good news is Judge Coulson had an answer in his ruling which accords with Toni and D's comments. At para 100 he says: "I consider that there is an inescapable tension between the article 8 rights of the Gypsy and Traveller community (as stated in such clear terms by the European caselaw summarised at paragraphs 44-48 above), and the common law of trespass. The obvious solution is the provision of more designated transit sites for the Gypsy and Traveller community. It is a striking feature of many of the documents that the court was shown that the absence of sufficient transit sites has repeatedly stymied any coherent attempt to deal with this issue. The reality is that, without such sites, unauthorised encampments will continue and attempts to prevent them may very well put the local authorities concerned in breach of the Convention." See judgement at: https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewca/civ/2020/12
Edward Vine
2023-04-07 07:59:18
The concept of travelling communities is one that goes back to ancient travelling tribes that existed before farming became established. There always seems to be conflict. Nowadays there's probably more people taking to roads and certainly canals as a way of life, a good proportion because there's simply no affordable housing to rent or buy. Even on canals the requirements to move on every three weeks is hostile to communities, many of whom actually looked after their environment. It would seem to be logical to create more campsites and mooring places for travelling individuals and communities rather than the ad hoc system currently operating: a system that seems to be designed to create friction. When there's opportunistic encampments then there's almost inevitability problems with trespass and accumulation of rubbish and waste. A more enlightened approach might help avoid the friction and solve many of the problems not least better access to health care and the education of travelling children.
Kim Oconnor
2023-04-07 09:12:08
Perfectly put Edward. We have had travellers for centuries, it's our history .
Ben Devonshire
2023-04-07 12:48:38
Jesus, Edward. If you’d have had the pleasure of walking around the Passmores site when the travellers left there a few years back, them rose-tinted spectacles would have flown off! These are not leisurely travellers looking to care for the environment they’re in and cause no issues.
Paul Pegrum
2023-04-07 16:04:24
Don’t wait until next tell them if they don’t go now their cars and caravans will be towed away and crushed don’t want the likes of them in our town get rid now
Mark Cooper
2023-04-09 09:14:38
They show no respect for others around them. This is an area for public to walk and do what they like. Not an area for people to live in temporary accommodation. It’s an absolute disgrace.
David morton
2023-04-14 07:28:56
They have left no rubbish, it was bagged up and put aside to be collected, just goes to show there's good and bad in all, having passed worked for the council on the bins some of you hypocrites want to drive around local estates and see the way some residents live and the crap they leave behind!!!
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