Travellers threatened with court eviction after BLOCKING park-and-ride site for 10 days
TRAVELLERS accused of blocking a park and ride north of Oxford have been threatened with eviction after an estimated 50 vehicles blocked buses from accessing the site for 10 days.
Travellers accused of blocking Pear Tree park and ride north of Oxford were threatened with eviction
The travellers are understood to have set up camp in the Pear Tree Park and Ride to the north of Oxford last Monday.
The vehicles took up a substantial number of spaces, wreaking havoc for commuters trying to use the service to get to work.
Oxford City Council said they were liaising with Thames Valley Police and have launched a possession claim with the courts.
The travellers were also served notices and the city council issued legal proceedings.
According to the Oxford Mail, a traveller camp has now set up in Bicester around the time the city council said a number of the traveller caravans and vehicles had left the Pear Tree Park and Ride.
An estimated 50 traveller vehicles blocked buses from accessing the site for 10 days
Earlier Oxford city councillor Alex Hollingsworth, a board member for Planning and Regulatory Services, said: “This unauthorised occupation of Pear Tree Park and Ride has had a severe impact on regular users of the facility and is wholly unacceptable. For the past week, the council has been working to end this occupation.
“Given the seriousness of the situation, which has led to buses no longer being able to enter the site, Thames Valley Police have now served notice on the occupiers to leave.
“Occupations of this kind cause great inconvenience to car park users as well as costing councils money in legal, repair and clear up costs, and lost revenue.
“The legal process necessary to move people on is lengthy and I call on the Government to look at streamlining it so that any further such disruptions can be more swiftly resolved.”
The Oxford City Council later confirmed that the traveller camp had moved from the Pear Tree Park and Ride.
Oxford City Council said a clean up of the Pear Tree Park and Ride is now underway
The council tweeted: “The travellers have now left Pear Tree park and ride. Clearing up of the site is now in progress.
“Customers are welcome to use the site as normal but please accept our apologies for any inconvenience whilst we return the site to normal.”
Earlier a spokesman Oxford City Council said: “The occupation started on Monday February 12 and are around 50 vehicles on the site.
“Last week we issued legal proceedings and have served notices on the occupiers.
“We also lodged a possession claim, based on trespass, before Oxford County Court.
“This is due to be heard on March 2, the earliest date the Court was able to accommodate at the time the application was lodged.
“We have also been working with Thames Valley Police and have requested them to look at using their powers under Section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
“Whilst trespass is a civil matter, these powers can be used by the police in situations of criminality or public disorder.”
Oxfordshire County Council provides six permanent sites with 89 pitches for gypsy, traveller and travelling show people. There are also 21 privately run sites in the county.