Further to my article dated August 6th regarding the group of travellers who set up camp next to the A34 Alderley Edge bypass, I have been informed by Cheshire East Council that cleaning up the disgraceful mess they left behind involved a considerable amount of manpower and is estimated to have cost £2000.
The area was covered in piles of rubbish, the grass verge was mud, loads of trees have been pulled down, dozens of guards which were protecting the newly planted trees have been pulled up and the smell was disgusting.
Council officers took on the task of removing fly tipped items left by the travellers last Thursday and Friday and the job was completed by Monday, 22nd August.
Wesley Hutton, Team Leader for Cheshire East's Streetscape and Bereavement Services, told me "In total it took eleven men two hours just to litter pick the site, we removed a total of 8 tonnes of litter and bricks from the site. The bricks appeared to come from someone who had recently had a garden burner or barbecue dismantled by the travellers.
"We also removed 18 tonnes of brash and tree debris from the site, which took a man on a tractor loading it all nine hours and the large skip wagon five journeys to a refuse site to recycle all the tree and brash debris."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
I am sure if my family had a picnic in a field and we just left all our rubbish and walked away the Council would soon find a way to track us down, yet again they are to scared to get a firm grip of this problem because of who these people are.
It's a pity Cheshire East don't have a site in this area then this would not happen.
The Council should by now be aware that when the 'Travellers' pay an area a visit they will not clean up after themselves, in fact they go all out to leave a huge mess than anyone else could ever leave so why not take action to make them clean up BEFORE they leave. I would have thought clamping their vans would be a start.
Lets face it littering and fly tipping is an offence so why are they being allowded to yet again get away with it. By sending in teams of people to clean up costing the tax payer a huge bill they are sending out the message its ok and carry on next time you visit because everyone is to scared to do something about it other other than bleat to the paper. It's about time people in the area stood up to these people as well as farmers have done in other areas.
If they were held liable as soon as they arrived in an area and faced with searches by the police vosa and the inland revenue they'd move quicker. But the easiest way to stop them would be if local residents stopped giving them work, therefore earning a very lucrative tax free income whilst they are in the area and getting the council to clear their waste away after they move on. They are making mugs of us one and all!!!!
I noted there are cameras around that area...Lets hope culprits reg's were caught on camera...!
There actually was 18 tonnes of brash and tree debris removed from the site and rubble from someone who had a garden burner removed. The reason I sent the email to Lisa was to try and make people see that when the travellers come knocking on your door to remove garden burners, fell trees etc, yes it may look like a cheap job and one that has saved you a few pounds but in the long run it causes more cost and work for other people.
It is also unfortunate that more things can not be done to prevent them from trashing the sites and may I also add it is not every traveller that does this, we have in the past had groups who kept the sites they were on tidy and did not leave tonnes of items behind to be cleared away.
I do also understand Sarahs frustration with it all but I myself and the other men who cleared the site also pay tax's and we also get frustrated with it all. The travellers arrive at night time and leave at night time when there is no-one around to see them.
They had previously come from a site in Chelford and they left more than the 26 tonnes they left behind at the Alderley bypass site. People need to be more vigilant when employing people to do jobs within their property, not only may they fly tip the items removed (if your details are within the fly tip you may be prosecuted even though you did not fly tip yourself) also they may not have public liability insurance and if they cause any severe damage again you and the person doing the work may be prosecuted again.
To be honest, talking about legal action or involving police, they won't touch it. Most travellers don't know their own date of birth, have no legal documents, and it's quite common for several to have the same name as well. Policing it would be a total nightmare and as I say, they wouldn't touch it.
I think more logical would be to try and deal with the issues when it happens. Has anyone talked to them before, if they visit? Maybe give them alternatives, where is the local tip they can dump rubbish, is there a local one? Maybe rather than the feeling of resentment and agression, which I am sure can't help, if it's flipped and we try and just understand the way of life and give alternatives, maybe it would lead to a better result?
If I was a traveller, and I visited a town/village where I knew everyone hated me, people resented me being there, they wanted to throw things at me (see above comment) and they wanted to have me arrested or prosecuted, I would have literally no respect for that area whatsoever and would definitely want to do something to prove a point.
However, if the area is more understanding, sort of says 'look, we don't fully understand this way of life, but please respect us if we respect you' sort of thing. I don't know.
I just feel facing this issue with anger and threats isn't the way forward. I would think communication is much better, and probably will lead to more success in the future.
You are getting it all mixed up. You have to earn respect and the way these groups behave shows no respect for the people who live in the area so that is just maybe the reason why people resent them being in their area. Its very easy really, show respect, don't cause mayhem and a mess in you wake and behave yourself and hey guess what...people will except you and make you welcome.
Why should the law abiding public have to be the one to alter their behaviour.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-14871318
Sorry I don't understand the meaning in your reply.
I think you need to have a really close look at the picture at the top of this article again. Honestly its time a hard stand was made and not all this 'lets understand them and their way of life' Who in the right mind would want to understand that way of living and behaving. They have run out of chances in my opinion.