Traveller encampment opposite Netteswell Pond given notice to quit by Harlow Council
News / Wed 5th Jul 2023 at 02:23pm
HARLOW Council has issued a notice to quit in relation to a traveller encampment in Harlow.
Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, said:
“We were made aware last night of an unauthorised traveller encampment on Second Avenue on land opposite Netteswell Pond. Our Community Safety team and the Police have visited the site and the encampment has been served with a notice to leave the land.
“We have a zero-tolerance approach to unauthorised traveller encampments, and that is why we have dealt with this immediately.
“The action we take will always be about upholding the law, responding to the concerns of residents and protecting the town’s open spaces.”
Hugo
2023-07-05 17:17:47
Oh! Goodie! Yet another chance for our MP and other conservative councillors to falsely claim this is a direct result of the Labour administration not pursuing the blanket ban that failed for another council. The facts were laid out by an excellent "letter to the editor" article here recently, but I am confident that RH et al. are composing their "blame anyone but us" articles as I write this. Who knows, they have repeated this falsehood often enough that maybe this time it will be true. This encampment was gone when I drove past today. From what little I could see, little or no significant damage was done to the grass or trees. It is a pity that there are no or so few legal and appropriate places that allow these people to stay just a few days. The conservative run ECC are responsible for providing appropriate places and are clearly failing in this responsibility.
Kim Oconnor
2023-07-05 18:31:50
Well said,Hugo. Dan swords, this will only keep on happening, why don't you listen .. the only way your going to stop this is to all get together with Ecc , and come up with a solution, and don't be a part of the problem. You speak of our green spaces,, all you lot are doing is concreting over it.
Marie
2023-07-05 21:42:41
Thankfully this council is vigilante and taking immediate action to deal with these unlawful encampments. The police need to respond decisively to protect our residents and environment. Harlow council's zero tolerance will be supported by most decent residents. One only needs to go to North end of the Town Centre to see it is becoming a no-go zone full of dregs, druggies and drunks. It is appalling. The last thing we need is illegal encampments. Need to clean this town up. We have higher crime rates than most of Essex. It is lamentable.
Mike
2023-07-05 22:14:50
Kim O'Connor we don't want them here! Don't you get it? Just like we don't want all those in Terminus House that London boroughs have dumped here. They have nothing to do with Harlow. How can we get the town centre improved and attract new investment and shops when the place looks like a slum and full of dregs as someone else just said? If we want the place to improve we need to demolish Terminus House and ship them all back to London and stop others like illegal travellers staying here. Harlow has been neglected for too long. It used to be a decent place.
David Forman
2023-07-05 23:08:35
The judge in the Bromley case spelt out the solution and that is transit sites where Travellers can stay for short periods. Before anybody says it, the two Traveller sites in Harlow are permanent sites for permanent residence, so they are not transit sites.
Kim Oconnor
2023-07-06 08:25:44
Spot on David foreman.. for once we agree.. Oh I get it all right,,, Mike, , I get the discrimination... I get that it's people like you , class everybody in the same box.. We have had traveler's for centuries, there part of our history, they come ,they go,, which is why we have to have the need for transit sites... Why would you not solve this problem, why...
James
2023-07-06 08:39:04
The site has been vacated after police served notice. Unfortunately, the travellers left a heap of rubbish, which the Council will have to clear. Anybody else would be rightly fined for flytipping.
Eddie
2023-07-06 08:41:29
Kim O'connor. If we had transit sites we would probably need to concrete over the said site. Which is your pet hate. Travellers never pay their way luke you and I and most people do.
Kim Oconnor
2023-07-06 08:46:38
James, I hope you took photos, I would like to see this , may be put a post on , showing the people.. A heap of rubbish, as far ,as I could see there was only about 2 caravan s.. I suggest you take a good look round Harlow, the temple, had a heap of rubbish around it this week, and about 6 trolley s,,, does Harlow council clean that up .. no. No.. go take a look at our rivers, our streams, actually go take a look at Harlow it's self,, do you clean that up... NO NO.
James
2023-07-06 08:49:50
Kim O'Connor, I don't disagree with several of your points. People are responsible for litter. It is a matter of individual education and responsibility.
Bruce Downey
2023-07-06 08:52:47
If you get on a transit site, you can stay there for up to 3 Months.. the council can end the stay by giving 4 weeks notice. So a day or two could go on and on..
Kim Oconnor
2023-07-06 09:07:28
James your council are all so responsible for cleaning this rubbish up, maybe some education and responsibility should come from them all so... .. Transit sites do not need to be concreted over, but provision on all ready concreted sites, should be provided, for come and go travelling people... or this is going to keep happening time and time again.. Harlow council and Ecc should come together and solve this problem, not be the problem.
James
2023-07-06 09:52:21
Kim O'Connor, I was reliably informed by my colleague Nicky Purse, Cabinet Member for Environment that several complaints had been received by the Council from members of the public regarding large amounts of rubbish left at the unauthorised encampment and that she inspected the site and confirmed the veracity of the matter. It is not a matter for debate. It is a fact. I am surprised at your attitude, as a member of the Green Party. I suppose you tolerate selective littering and flytipping.
Kim Oconnor
2023-07-06 10:10:14
A heap of rubbish from 2 caravan s, . Then nicky purse needs to come and have a good look round Harlow.. I don't condone any any rubbish or fly tipping, but if you put obstacles in the way, like on line booking, and not providing adequate stop of places for theses travelling people, this will continue... You all need to practice what you preach, if you really want to clean rubbish, then get cracking, and have a stroll round Harlow.. After all we all pay for services that are not not done.
Nicky
2023-07-06 21:06:09
This morning I started to receive calls from from residents regarding the waste that had been left by the travellers. This was cleared by HTS within an hour them leaving the area. Residents also reported livestock at the site one of the issues is the moving of livestock around the county is there is restitution. Chicken was reported and seen by officers so as it stands currently and what the restrictions was this year. 11 April 2023, Updated to confirm housing measures for poultry and captive birds will be lifted on Tuesday 18 April 2023, 26 April 2023 Updated to reflect that the housing measures have now been lifted. 4 July 2023, Updated to reflect the lifting of the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone. As it stands now no gathering of chicken. We have to remember that our beloved pets Corner and our own pets have to protected.
Comrade
2023-07-07 04:59:48
Re: This was cleared by HTS within an hour them leaving the area. ...Bravo HTS. Shame they are not so swift every where else, every week. Oh dear. (Will HTS staff be shouting in the Civic Centre again anytime soon?)
Kim Oconnor
2023-07-07 09:32:33
Nicky purse,so theses two caravan s had chickens did they.??????? So you had rubbish cleared with in the hour did you.... its a pity that the huge amount s of rubbish arnt cleared with in the hour ,, all around Harlow s, rivers, streams, well just Harlow really, we pay for theses services, why isn't the rest of it cleared..Huge amount s of rubbish and six trolley s , left at temple site, it was frends of Latton lsland that clears this....
Kim Oconnor
2023-07-07 09:39:34
The bottom line to this story is. If you don't provide adequate transit sites for travelling community s, this will keep on happening, costing you all more money in long run.. Be the solution to this problem, and don't be the problem.
18 Comments for Traveller encampment opposite Netteswell Pond given notice to quit by Harlow Council: