A group of travellers with 20 caravans and 2 motorhomes have arrived in the Tile Hill area of the city. They arrived last night on the Ponderosa fields on Jardine Crescent raising concerns amongst local residents.
Local councillors for Woodlands ward alerted the authorities to the unauthorised encampment and have asked the Council to take action to disperse the travellers as soon as possible.
Before Council officers can apply for an eviction order through the courts they must undertake a needs assessment. Checks are made on the tidiness of the site and the level of disruption to local residents, businesses and highways. They must also check on their general health, wellbeing and be able to demonstrate the travellers are there without permission.
It is understood that earlier today Council officers attempted to perform this assessment but were forced to withdraw due to the hostile environment they encountered. The travellers also indicated to Council officers more travellers would be joining them soon.
The group is located on the Ponderosa playing fields which is currently home to Mount Nod Juniors Football Club. A similar situation occurred in 2014 when travellers prevented the club from completing a fixture. Eventually, the police used so called ‘section 61’ powers to remove them due to an escalation of incidents.
Local councillors Peter Male and Gary Ridley are calling for the matter to be resolved swiftly. Commenting on the situation Cllr Peter Male said; “We've had several reports from residents about an unauthorised encampment of travellers on Jardine Crescent. The residents are worried about the disruption and potential clean-up costs which this situation could create. We've asked Council officers to move quickly to ensure a speedy resolution to this situation.”
Fellow Woodlands ward Councillor and Leader of the Conservatives at Coventry City Council, Cllr Gary Ridley, said; “This situation is causing real worry for local residents and we’re liaising with the relevant authorities to ensure the situation is resolved as quickly as possible. At the present time there is the potential for disruption for local residents and their ability to use the park, particularly the football pitches, is a real concern.”