Travellers Take Over Large Field in South Downs National Park, Sparking Anger Among Local Residents
A group of travellers has taken over a large field in the South Downs National Park, sparking anger among local residents. According to a report by GB News, at least 10 vehicles, including seven caravans and motorhomes, have pitched up on what has become a building site at Blind Lane, near Petworth in West Sussex.
The site, which is located just three miles from former footballer and actor Vinnie Jones’s farm, has been transformed into a travellers’ encampment, with industrial diggers tearing up the field on Friday morning. Residents in nearby villages were stunned by the sudden development, which has been described as a “brazen breach” of planning laws.
As reported by GB News, the area, thought to be the size of ten football pitches, was cleared and levelled over the weekend. A septic tank was delivered to the site on Sunday afternoon, along with more gravel. Chichester District Council immediately sent planning enforcement officers to assess the site and served a temporary stop notice on Friday.
However, the notice has been breached, and the council is taking further legal steps, including seeking an injunction through the courts. Local MP Andrew Griffith has expressed his outrage at the development, stating that it “makes a mockery” of planning laws. “It makes a mockery of a system where we all jump through lengthy and costly hoops to install a dormer window when such brazen breaches happen unchecked,” he said.
Griffith contacted Chichester District Council and the South Downs National Park early Friday morning to express his concerns. Sussex Police confirmed they are aware of concerns about the Petworth site but described it as “a civil matter”.
In a separate incident, around 20 caravans moved onto Woodgate Valley Country Park in Birmingham on Bank Holiday Monday. The 450-acre park is a designated nature reserve in the centre of Bartley Green and Quinton. Councillor Kerry Brewer expressed concern about the Woodgate Valley encampment, stating that “the concern will be the environmental risk and possible damage to the woodland area”. She also questioned the cost of these encampments for Birmingham’s “bankrupt council”.
The development in the South Downs National Park has sparked widespread criticism, with many residents expressing their outrage at the travellers’ encampment. As GB News reports, the site has been transformed into a travellers’ encampment, with at least 10 vehicles, including seven caravans and motorhomes, pitched up on the site.
The incident highlights the ongoing issue of travellers’ encampments in the UK, which often spark controversy and concern among local residents. As reported by GB News, the travellers’ encampment in the South Downs National Park has been described as a “brazen breach” of planning laws, with many calling for greater action to be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
For more information on this story, visit GB News.
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