Forum Topic

Springfield Gardens

You'll be delighted to know travellers with caravans invaded Springfield Gardens at just before 5.30pm tonight. Close to all amenities and Acton Police station.

Peter Savick ● 3202d21 Comments

The permanent pitches are usually taken up for reasons such as education, illness or old age.  The document goes into more detail.

Libby Kemp ● 3199d

Probably they don't want to be permanent - it's the antithesis of the traveller life (it's sort of in the name!) but there are or should be temporary sites so they can move round without annoying local residents by camping i public parks.

Sara Nathan ● 3199d

Agree but do they want to stay permanent and abide by the rules, its a difficult one.

Janice Evans ● 3200d

The implications of Libby's post is that there is essentially nowhere for travellers to go legally in the Borough. So where are they supposed to live? Surely the answer is to have places it is acceptable for them to camp...not just to pretend they don't exist.

Sara Nathan ● 3200d

The problem with these travellers is the dreadful mess they leave behind, this must be costing the council a fortune, firstly to get a Court Order each time they invade our parks and gardens, and then the cost of clear up.The Council should spend money on bollards to ensure that they are kept OUT for once and for all.Also it might be a good idea to employ someone to check that Springfield Gardens is secured at night. This does not happen and it only encourages antisocial behaviour and crime.

Jean F Fernandez ● 3200d

I can confirm there are traveller caravans parked in the middle of Ealing Common grounds as I drove past earlier. It's definitely not movie trailers because they are considerate enough to park in the road not on green space. Honestly, I feel like we are being invaded. Not one of them pays extortionate council tax, car insurance and business tax (rubbish collection)! One rule for them, a totally different and unfair rule for the rest of us.

Naweed Shams ● 3200d

The Ealing provision for Gipsy and Traveller sites is in the Old Oak and Park Royal development area (OPDC). There is one public site with 24 pitches for permanent caravans, no private sites with permanent planning permission, no sites with temporary planning permission.  There are no sites for transit provision anywhere in Ealing, Brent or Hammersmith and Fulham or Kensington and Chelsea, which is probably how these families would be classified as they stay for a week or so and then move on. LBE carried out a statutory survey in 2008 and decided there was no requirement for transit sites in the borough and thereby did not have to provide one.  Prior to c. 1980 all local authorities had to by law provide transit sites. Oxfordshire County Council Manage the three permanent sites in West London, Brent has 34 pitches and Kensington and Chelsea 19.  OPDC carried out a “Gypsy and Travellers Accommodation Needs Assessment (GTANA)” in 2016 a copy of the draft report is available:https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2016_01_28_opdc_gtaa_draft_report_new_cover.pd

Libby Kemp ● 3200d

Please keep your pets indoors, they are know to take them.

Janice Evans ● 3200d

They asked me this morning how much my dog was worth. That is frightening.wont go near the place till they've gone.

Bob Crossley ● 3200d

I'm getting sick of this! I use both North Acton and Springfield a lot with my 18 month. Today he was almost run over by some brat on a bike, fell when another kid ran past too close when he was trying to get to the baby slide and then had to jump out of the way with the pram when one of their vans came speeding in to the park.The parks get messy enough with teenagers and the like drinking in the playgrounds through the night leaving broken glass everywhere, now add this! :/

Amy Mackenzie ● 3201d

Northfields police are just tweeting about more travellers on Ealing Common... what is going on?! Perhaps they know that most of the local constabulary are in Southall today...

Lorna Dodd ● 3201d

Last year when travellers parked on an empty piece of privately owned land on the A40 opposite my house, the police turned up in force and locked them in preventing those inside from leaving and those outside from getting in.  After a couple of hours of negotiations the travellers left peacefully. Why can't they do this for council land?

Tania Bapuji ● 3201d

But if someone in the council was available and had keys, the gate could have been locked/blocked quickly stopping more arrivals. This would limit the numbers to a small number rather than being a free-for-all for days.The longer the occupation goes and the greater the numbers, the more debris and damage likely to be inflicted to the park for the local residents and the greater risk to local residents from crime.

Grant McAllister ● 3202d

The gates of the park don't appear to get locked at all now - not enough park wardens I guess. The gates wouldn't have been locked at 5.30 pm though, so no need to break in. The large gates have to accessible in case of an emergency, but there should be some way of preventing these invasions.There was police car in Creswick Road this morning, but it needs a court order to get them out.

Amanda Knights ● 3202d

Meanwhile local residents would be reluctant to spend time in the park, and where are the children on summer holidays supposed to play?

Jean F Fernandez ● 3202d

Do they break in to the parks? If not, someone in the council parks department must be helping them. It would be a bit coincidental if on the couple of occasions local park gates haven't been locked they've happened to be passing.

Tania Bapuji ● 3202d

it is also appalling that the park has become a no go area just as the holidays begin and many families depend on them.

Kim Rugg ● 3202d

Why not write to Julian Bell?This really is getting beyond a joke. They just go from one park to another leaving a mess for someone else to clear up.Surely the council can act to stop these people making a mockery of the Council and the law?

Jean F Fernandez ● 3202d

From the London Mayor right down to the local council and police, the official response is appeasement. There is no real attempt at deterrence or effective prosecution. It's all just a well rehearsed game. If you or I stray 10 minutes over your parking ticket then you'll get hit with fines and hounded to pay them. This lot stay 10 days and get treated like royalty.

Ron Thorp ● 3202d

Agreed. I rang the council on their emergency out-of-hours number but no surprise. "There is no emergency cover for parks or to deal with travellers, suggest you call police on 101".So, one presumes that no one is able to lock the gate either. It is the big double-gate on Creswick Road used to get the caravans/vans in.Rather than ringing the police, I walked to the Acton Station. The lady on the front desk didn't know but was going to inform her Sergeant. No idea what action is any will be taken.

Grant McAllister ● 3202d

This is getting beyond a joke. Are they incapable of securing public parks in Ealing?!

Lorna Dodd ● 3202d