Travellers pitch up in Saltdean park

Travellers set up camp in Saltdean Oval Park yesterday evening (Tuesday 17 July).

The incursion happened hours before Councillor Geoffrey Theobald handed in a petition signed by more than 1,600 people protesting about plans for an official travellers site in Patcham.

Today (Wednesday 18 July) Simon Kirby, the Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown, asked Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council to take immediate action to move on the Saltdean camp.

Mr Kirby said: “This unauthorised encampment is clearly unacceptable and is preventing residents of Saltdean enjoying the valuable local amenity.

“This is particularly pertinent with the upcoming school holidays.

“Additionally, allegations of criminal activity have been raised with me by concerned residents.

“I have called on the police and council to take immediate action to move on this encampment and will be continuing to press them until this matter is resolved.”

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald with travellers petition

At Hove Town Hall today, Councillor Theobald, leader of the opposition Conservative group on the council, handed in a petition.

The petition objected to plans for a new permanent traveller site next to the existing transit site at Horsdean, which is in Councillor Theobald’s Patcham ward.

He is due to present the petition formally tomorrow (Thursday 19 July) at a full council meeting at Brighton Town Hall. The meeting starts at 4.30pm and is open to the public.

He will urge the Green administration not to put an official traveller site in the South Downs National Park.

At the same meeting he will also propose a notice of motion asking the council and police to act faster when travellers unlawfully occupy parks.

Councillor Theobald said: “This petition just shows the strength of public feeling there is out there in the local community about another traveller site in Patcham and I would like to thank everyone who has signed it.

“I am personally not convinced that this new site, if it is given the go ahead, will make any difference to the number of unlawful traveller encampments on the city’s precious parks, as the Greens are claiming.

“The numbers of people signing this petition is still growing and I think that it sends a clear signal to the South Downs National Park Authority, who have the ultimate say on whether this proposed new site gets the go ahead.”