Issue - meetings

To receive the report of the Strategic Director for Corporate Resources.

The Chair invited the representative from Isca Bowling Club to present their evidence, which they did making the following points:

a)     the club had an elderly demographic who were quite concerned when they could not get through between caravans, dogs were running look or when there were greater numbers of travellers in the car park;

b)     there had been 7 or 8 caravans in the smaller car park beside the bowls centre and sometimes it had not been possible to get through due to excrement;

c)     there had been a lot of rubbish and some abuse;

d)     one member of the bowling club had been bitten by a dog and children had thrown eggs;

e)     during the Ladies World Cup there had been an order in place preventing parking there as the gym had been used by rugby players and he asked why that order could not remain and why a special order was required each time;

f)       his priority was the welfare of club members;

g)     he was aware that height restriction barriers were coming but they were not in place as yet but he wondered if travellers would then park on the road leading to the arena;

h)     it would be good to have better communication with the council to know what was happening as they were only aware of the current issues from discussion with the travellers on site; and

i)       he didn’t wish to put club members through these issues and believed that it was the Council’s responsibility to tell them they were able to park there.

The Bowling Club representative answered Members’ questions in the following terms:

a)     he didn’t think that welcoming travellers and discussing their needs would work as there was currently the option to park in the large arena car park yet the small one was used;

b)     the club would like the council to contact their secretary who liaised with the council over other matters;

The Strategic Director for Corporate Resources commented that the Council’s position was not to tolerate and that this was the first time. He stated that in every other instance an immediate decision had been made not to tolerate but time was often taken to go through the process which had caused delays.

The Chair stated that she was aware that the height restriction barriers had been ordered and would likely be installed in the first half of this year.  There would be four barriers, two at the entrances to the car park and the other two perhaps at Exhibition Way.

The Chair invited TravellerSpace to the table to present their evidence.

TravellerSpace presented making the following points:

a)     that the organisation had twenty years of experience supporting gypsies and travellers;

b)     the issues heard had been around for decades and different approaches had not worked therefore everyone must work together;

c)     it was understood that everyone found it difficult people appeared on their doorstep;

d)     there was a list of reasons why unauthorised encampments were negative  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33