Legal action threatened after arrival of travellers camp in Harrogate playing field
A legal notice has been issued to a travellers camp in Harrogate by the local authorities.
North Yorkshire Council served notice to quit to the huddle of caravans which appeared at Oatlands Recreation Ground.
The police have also been informed of the presence of up to a dozen travellers’ vehicles on the playing field which is used by local football teams and children at the nearby primary school in Oatlands.
There are two official Gypsy and Traveller sites in the Harrogate district, at Bickerton and Thistle Hill.
North Yorkshire Council’s stated policy is that: “Outside of these sites, if Gypsies and Travellers set up a camp on council owned land, and if they are causing problems, they will be moved on as soon as is possible and reasonable. We consider each case on its merits.”
The council adds: “If the Gypsies and Travellers occupy land without the landowner's permission, the owner can talk to them to try to agree a leaving date, use reasonable force to evict them if they do not leave when asked, or take county court action.”
It’s a situation familiar to the authorities in Harrogate which has a long history of travellers camps turning up around the time of Appleby Horse Fair, which runs from June 6-12