A Hove councillor said that the cost of cleaning up after unauthorised traveller encampments should be recovered from those responsible for the mess.
Councillor Dawn Barnett, who represents Hangleton and Knoll on Brighton and Hove City Council, said that the amount – £246,000 in the past year – was disgraceful given the current need to cut services.
She said: “Barely a week goes by without yet another report of travellers leaving the city’s parks and playing fields in a complete mess.
“Let’s not beat about the bush – this is fly-tipping which is a criminal offence and can attract an unlimited fine.
“In most cases of fly-tipping it is quite difficult for council and/or police to determine who is responsible and so prosecutions and fines are rare.
“With travellers on unauthorised encampments the council and police know exactly who is responsible – they can hardly deny it – yet apparently do nothing to try to recover the clear-up costs from the fly-tipping when the travellers are evicted.
“This is disgraceful, particularly at a time when the council’s budget is stretched and services are having to be cut.
“In the last year alone evictions, clear up and repairs have cost council tax payers a massive £246,000.
“That is a quarter of a million pounds that should be spent on essential services for residents.
“I would like to make a suggestion. When the council goes to court, they should award costs against the travellers to cover the expense of the clear up and any repairs to gates, bollards, etc, that resulted from travellers breaking in.
“If they arrive as a collective, they should also take responsibility as a collective for what is a criminal offence.
“I think that it is very reasonable to suggest that if they refuse to pay then they should not be allowed to come back to the city.
“Either clear up or clear off.”
At Last…someone with the guts to say what MUST be done about these travellers. They don’t give a damn about the mess and problems they make. They are spoiling our countryside ( and seaside). They are abusive to the residents who dare to walk near ‘their’ site, they throw the contents of their toilets wherever they like, they break down fences, etc. etc. and all for free! The Council Tax payers have to pick up the bill for cleaning and making the sites safe when the travellers move on. If the residents of Brighton and Hove did half the things that these people did, they would be arrested!!
Fantastic idea !
Not sure how you would manage to get the money off them though. Presumably you would want to sent court debt collectors chasing around after caravans only to come back empty handed.
I know you’re seeking re-election but please put a bit more thought I to your proposals rather than spouting rhetoric.
Maybe more effort could be put into finding alternative locations for these people to help prevent the problem arising at all.
They have registered vehicles. They can be impounded.
The vehicles could probably be ceases but not the caravans
It is a pleasant surprise to hear someone on the Council willing to speaking up on the issue of travellers rather than tow the Green Party line. This counsellor should be applauded for doing her job and representing the views of the residents of her ward; let’s not be so quick to criticize and jump on the ‘seeking re-election’ bandwagon. Support for residents who have seen their parks and community spaces blighted has been a long time coming and I hope other councillors now feel enabled to speak up for residents living in their wards too. I have seen first-hand the appalling state that Black Rock and Preston Park are left in by travellers (as by all accounts other sites in this councillor’s Hangleton ward are too). If you or I parked illegally and fly-tipped our rubbish we would be fined (and probably prosecuted for criminal damage for removing the posts and gates to obtain access to the land in the first place). We need to be asking if these laws apply equally to the travelling community or are they exempt for some reason? There is no reason why those enforcing the Court fines would be empty handed; if the culprits refuse to pay, confiscation orders can be made for their shiny new 4×4’s and Transit vans. As for the provision of an alternative site; there is one, they just don’t want to use it. Even if there was not an alternative site, it does not justify damaging the parks that the rest of us want to enjoy.
Vote attracting rhetoric with unfortunately no means to back it up. Companies & government departments are held accountable as a collective but not groups of private individuals. If Cllr Barnett had not made such a fuss when they were at Hangleton Bottom (where there were hardly any issues) then the situation could have been managed instead of the group currently being forced around (currently between Black Rock & Devils dyke). A nice idea which does not have legs!