The cost of illegal traveller encampments in Reading is revealed
Council has revealed legal and clear up costs as struggle to find official transit camp continues
More than £300,000 of public money has been spent on tackling unauthorised encampments in Reading in the past five years with illegal incursions continuing to cause chaos in the town’s parks each summer.
Reading Borough Council (RBC) spent £16,220 on tackling encampments last year (2020/21), a five-year low amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, encampments are continuing to cause chaos in the town, with travellers having set up for a month now at Kings Meadow, disrupting children’s football matches and not leaving despite a court order.
Travellers have illegally taken over parks and green spaces across the town in recent months, including Palmer Park, Cintra Park Alfred Sutton Primary School playing field, Victoria Recreation Ground, and Rabsons Recreation Ground.
One caravan was set alight following an incursion at Rabson Recreation Ground , while ‘things almost got ugly’ when caravans speed across football pitches mid-match at Cintra Park.
The costs to the council of tackling encampments in the last five years
These are the costs over the past five years, broken down by category.
2016/17
Legal fees – £20,998
Clear-up Costs – £58,000
Safeguarding Measures and Repairs – £0
Total – £78,598
2017/18
Legal fees – £36,447
Clear-up Costs – £36,000
Safeguarding Measures and Repairs – £104,000
Total – £176,447
2018/19
Legal fees – £23,750
Clear-up Costs – £3,558
Safeguarding Measures and Repairs – £0
Total – £27,308
2019/20
Legal fees – £14,450
Clear-up Costs – £13,637
Safeguarding Measures and Repairs – £6,164
Total – £34,251
2020/21
Legal fees – £5,747
Clear-up Costs – £8,473
Safeguarding Measures and Repairs – £2,000
Total – £16,220
Challenges
The council has agreed there is a need for a transit site for up to 10 caravans as well as a permanent site.
At a recent council meeting, Green Party councillor Rob White asked for an update on plans for a traveller transit site.
Cllr White called for the council to “show respect” to the travelling community’s way of life by providing a transit site with decent facilities.
Councillor Tony Page, lead member for Environment, Planning and Transport at RBC, said the council has been “working for some time” to find suitable permanent and transit sites for gypsies and travellers but virtually all sites are near to homes and often at high risk of flooding.
The council identified a possible site at Cow Lane in 2017 but in the end this site was needed for a new school, River Academy, which is opening in September 2023.
Cllr Page said: “Since then, the council has continued to try to identify possible sites within its boundaries to meet permanent and transit needs, as well as working with neighbouring authorities on whether our needs for permanent accommodation can be met on less constrained land just outside the borough boundaries.
“This work is ongoing and further information on progress will be reported when it is appropriate to do so, but identifying a site is a difficult process given the very tight constraints on land in Reading.
“The council continues to actively work on this as a matter of importance and a report about transit site provision is expected to be brought to the next Policy Committee on November 1.”