Cllr Graeme Coombes has challenged Bedford Borough Council to adopt a strategy to deal with illegal Gypsy & Traveller encampments.

At a meeting of the Borough Council last week, Cllr Coombes said he felt the Council and Bedfordshire Police are playing ‘cat and mouse’ in responding to repeated reports of illegal encampments in Wixams and Wilstead.

Cllr Coombes spoke following the establishment of a site in Wixams which finally moved on at the beginning of July, with the inhabitants having ignored a ‘direction to leave’ notice obtained by the Council.  A huge pile of waste was left behind.

Cllr Coombes pressed Bedfordshire Police at the time to use powers under sections 61 and 62 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to remove the individuals from the land, but was told there were not sufficient resources available to pursue this option.

The Council has now put in place concrete blocks to prevent further incursions and evidence is being accumulated for a permanent injunction that would lead to the immediate removal of individuals setting up camp on the site.  Cllr Coombes feels, however, that the Mayor needs to do more to set aside land for Gypsy & Traveller sites in the Borough.  He said:

‘The Mayor needs to provide sufficient places at traveller sites across the Borough, which he currently has failed to do. I have been advised by the Council that there is actually a waiting list for some traveller families to obtain a pitch at a dedicated traveller site. All the time that the Mayor fails to address this, we will continue to see illegal encampments across Bedford.’