£2000 bill for Carnival Field clean up

by Lisa Reeves

Tuesday 23^rd July 2013

Tue 23^rd Jul 2013

Having spent nearly two weeks camped on Carnival Field, the travellers have moved on - after initially refusing to do so when the Council obtained a repossession order.

The travellers left on Monday, 15th July, leaving behind them general rubbish, rubble, tarmac, tree cuttings and the shell of an old caravan which had been stripped of all useful components.

The caravan and general rubbish has been removed but the Council streetscape team still has to go back to remove the rubble, tarmac and tree debris.

A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said "Our streetscape officers have been out and replaced locks and further secured Council sites where we can in the area. We are also looking at other actions to help secure our sites from unlawful encampments in the future."

The Council has confirmed that the estimated cost to clear the site is £2,120.

Prior to arriving at Carnival Field the same group of travellers spent two weeks on fields adjacent to the A34 bypass where they left mounds of rubble and rubbish.

Gill Bremner, Headteacher at Wilmslow High School, confirmed last week that the school paid £8000 to clean up the fields after the group left.

Tags:: Carnival Field, Cheshire East Council, Gill Bremner, Travellers, Wilmslow High School

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Aidan Killoran

Tuesday 23^rd July 2013 at 3:09 pm

So whats new they always leave there sites in a total mess just look what they have this time rubble from domestic jobs (There are plenty of vans parked on the site I assume they are taxed and insured and have an address its best that they just charge them all )that they get cash in hand for and no tax etc, they wont tip it at the regulated site because they have to pay.The law needs to change any other person would be arrested and charged for dumping or can we all now just tip our rubbish where we want to ? this really is one law for one

Derek Stevens

Tuesday 23^rd July 2013 at 3:30 pm

Lisa
You seemed to have missed something off the list of things left behind,and we all know what that was!!.
Is it actually cleared away and the ground sanitised?, or is it just left to decompose and disappear in the fulness of time?

Adrian Bradley

Tuesday 23^rd July 2013 at 5:53 pm

Last week I asked Wilmslow residents to say 'no thank you' when travellers asked to do work for us becauser that is why they come here. The photographs of debris and rubble indicate my plea was not heeded. So, no doubt they will be back for more of the same.

Richard Bullock

Tuesday 23^rd July 2013 at 6:18 pm

There are some travellers camped on and adjacent to the road at the rear entrance of Total Fitness gym. Is that Cheshire East council land too? I presume council taxpayers will end up with more of a bill.

Mario West

Tuesday 23^rd July 2013 at 6:27 pm

Adrian,

I am pretty sure the travellers have access to vehicles which means they can travel some distance to ply their trade. There are around 1 million households within an hours drive. The simple fact that they chose to reside in this area does not mean that the rubble etc arose from work in the immediate local area.

I'm surprised that you appear to be blaming the local residents rather than the perpetrators.

Tony Hughes

Tuesday 23^rd July 2013 at 9:06 pm

Why do we have to pay £2000 to dispose of a bit of rubble? Someone out there must know a man with a van who can do a favour for the community. If Ruth, Chris Dodson, Keith or anyone else on WTC wants to get in contact with me we can get this moved for nothing, surely?

Mark Goldsmith

Wednesday 24^th July 2013 at 10:50 am

I'm sure the travellers will already be planning their return visit given the complete unwillingness of Cheshire Police to bother doing their job. While a prosecution might not stick, a few nights in a police cell might make the travellers think twice about returning. Especially if there is an outstanding warrant on them in the county.

But Cheshire Police couldn't have been more accommodating if they had tried. Perhaps we should all now dump our rubbish in Wilmslow police stations car park as they clearly don't consider this a crime anymore.

Terry Roeves

Thursday 25^th July 2013 at 6:42 pm

Again, absolutely no consequences, for rubbish, rubble, effluent and sewage on OUR land.
And amazing that CEC had to obtain a repossession order. To repossess its own land? Quite ridiculous.
They win, we lose and we pay. There is a hidden agenda. CEC may appear to be gutless, but is their casualness the thin end of the wedge?
Councillors need to be contacted.