Travellers who were let onto a popular park by council officials are set to be evicted – with clean-up costs set to reach thousands of pounds.
An unauthorised encampment of about 50 vehicles has been in Wild Park, Brighton, for the past week.
This was after officials from Brighton and Hove City Council opened a padlocked gate to make it easier for the travellers to access.
After going through the courts for a possession order, the local authority has said the group will be evicted from the site off Lewes Road today – leaving the taxpayer with a bill for clear-up costs of thousands of pounds.
Conservative councillor Ken Norman, who represents Withdean ward, said he feared the “merry-go-round”
would continue as vehicles left Wild Park to join another unauthorised encampment in Surrenden Field, off London Road, Brighton.
Coun Norman said: “When they leave there’s always a cost of several thousands of pounds to clean up.”
The Argus broke the news that officials took the decision to open the gate last week. The local authority claimed it was necessary as members of the unauthorised encampment had been acting dangerously by mounting the pavement and driving over artificial mounds to get access.
By doing so, police officers said they were unable to carry out an immediate eviction under a Section 61 order.
A week on, the local authority has now obtained a court order to evict the group.
Speaking yesterday, a council spokeswoman said some have already left but eviction of the remaining travellers would take place this morning.
Yesterday, residents said a group of seven vehicles joined an existing unauthorised encampment in Surrenden Field and were “spreading over the field”.
Tina Norkett, chairman of Park Manor and Regency Court residents’ association, said: “The field is used for walking, going out, having picnics and American Football, but it’s out-of-bounds now.”
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