Councils disgrace over site's traveller numbers (From Gazette Series)

Councils disgrace over site's traveller numbers

THE GROWING number of travellers living on Golf Course Road, Dursley, is causing increasing concern within Dursley Town Council.

However, Gloucestershire County Council's travellers liaison department insists the site is not getting as large as the town council thinks.

Several months ago the town council was apparently told the landowner had agreed to the travellers staying on the site as long as no more settled there.

Since then members claim numbers have increased and the surrounding area become an eyesore.

Cllr Jim Froggatt said: "I recently passed the travellers' site for the first time in a couple of months. I could not believe how many vehicles were there.

"There must be twice as many vehicles as there was two or three months ago. I thought that those travellers were only allowed six or so vehicles there but now there are about 15."

According to the town council, there are also now three children at the site when there was only originally just one.

And there have been recent sightings of rats in the vicinity.

The council has tried to get the travellers moved on several occasions with frequent letters to the county's acting traveller liaison officer, Phil Cameron.

However, Mr Cameron insists that Cllr Froggatt's perception of the number of vehicles is not right and that the county has been doing its best with a delicate situation.

He told the Gazette later: "There has never been as few as six vehicles. It has always been in the low teens. As far as I am aware, only three more adults have joined the site in the past couple of months.

"There has never been a set number of travellers or vehicles, at which we could evict them from the site either.

"We operate a policy of tolerance towards gypsies and travellers, as well as trying to keep the town's permanent residents happy."

But a lack of action is frustrating councillors and they are now looking at more direct means of having the travellers removed.

Cllr Brian Marsh said: "Nobody in authority seems to want to do anything about the problem. I expect we'll get no co-operation from our police force but we should try and make use of the new legislation that came in on January 1 and inform them and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority about the vehicles."

Police will be asked to inspect vehicles for valid tax discs.