Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Travellers set up Britain's most expensive campsite - on unfinished £80m bypass

A group of travellers has set up Britain's most expensive camp site by parking their caravans on an unfinished £80million bypass.
Nine caravans carrying up to 30 travellers have set up camp on the A1073 bypass near Peterborough.
The £80.3m road between the city and Spalding, Lincs, was due to open last year but has been delayed after workmen caused damage to a nearby Roman monument.
New home: A group of 30 travellers has set up camp alongside a new £80m bypass close to Peterborough
New home: A group of 30 travellers has set up camp alongside a new £80m bypass close to Peterborough
And council chiefs are powerless to evict them because legal ownership of the road it still in the hands of contractors Enterprise Peterborough.
Yesterday the caravans and several vehicles were parked on the grass verge and young children were playing games on the deserted carriageway.
Outraged villagers have branded the legal loophole being exploited by travellers as a 'joke' and described the councils involved as 'incompetent'.
Cllr David Sanders, Tory councillor for Eye, said: 'The whole thing is a joke. First they messed up the bridge so the road couldn't open which is still causing misery for motorists, and now this.
'Drivers are up in arms and now villagers are up in arms. It's complete incompetence. The council has been faffing around for too long.
Taking advantage: The travellers have used a legal loophole to move into the site - and are unlikely to be evicted until October because the council does not own the land
Taking advantage: The travellers have used a legal loophole to move into the site - and are unlikely to be evicted until October because the council does not own the land
'I spoke to the travellers and they know what they are doing. They saw the road was closed and thought it would be a good place.
'So not only do we have a big expensive road closed because the council cocked up the bridge but we've got travellers now calling it home.
'Because the council hasn't adopted the road yet it will be up to the contractors to move them on.
'This is a multi-million pound road we are talking about. It must be the most expensive traveller's site in Britain.'
The bypass is part of a new £80.3m road between Peterborough and Spalding jointly paid for by Peterborough City Council and Lincolnshire County Council.
On Friday a group of travellers set up home on a four-mile stretch between Eye and Crowland which is currently closed to traffic.
The road was due to open last August but this was delayed when cracks were found in a £3m embankment at Car Dyke, near to a Roman monument.
'A joke': Councillor David Sanders said the council had been 'faffing around' for too long over the road and accused them of 'incompetence'
'A joke': Councillor David Sanders said the council had been 'faffing around' for too long over the road and accused them of 'incompetence'
Contractors predict the closed stretch between Eye and Crowland will be fully open in October this year once the cracks have been repaired by Enterprise Peterborough.
However, until then the local councils are powerless to evict the travellers because they do not own the land.
A spokesman for Peterborough City Council said: 'We haven't got any powers. We can't do anything about travellers on private land.
'It is up to the private landowner to move them on.'  A spokesman for Lincolnshire County Council described the situation as 'complicated'.
He said: 'We are looking into it. It is privately owned therefore we are looking at what options are available.' 
No one from Enterprise Peterborough was available for comment yesterday.
The road remains legally owned by Enterprise Peterborough until the work is completed when it will be officially adopted by Peterborough City Council.
If the road was owned by a local authority traveller liaison officers could serve eviction notices to force the travellers to move on.

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