COUNCIL LAUNCHES LEGAL ACTION TO REMOVE TRAVELLERS
Richmond Council has launched legal action against a group of travellers who have set up camp on Ham Common, it was announced today.
According to reports up to 35 caravans are parked on the Common and piles of rubbish have been dumped on the grass. Inflatables have been thrown in the pond and local pubs have been forced to close.
Unauthorised encampments breach Richmond Council’s Public Space Protection Orders, but the Council is required to go through a legal process to obtain and enforce a Possession Order to move travellers on.
Proceedings have been commenced with court summons served on site today and a High Court hearing for a Possession Order has been fixed for Thursday.
The Council, along with Park Guard and the Police will continue to liaise with the group and monitor the site and once they have moved on will ensure all waste is removed and damage is repaired.
A spokesperson said: “Our parks maintenance team are removing litter from the site and surrounding areas twice a day.”
Over the years travellers have regularly set up big camps on The Common, which is surrounded by houses worth millions, and the Council have had to take legal action to remove them, leaving a massive cleaning up problem.
One local said on X (formerly Twitter) “what is being done to stop these hundreds of travellers from squatting on ham common and ruining/threatening the community with their lawlessness? Pubs shut, locals afraid to go out. Court order taking a week not good enough. Answers needed.”