Plans for £20,000 of extra fencing aimed at stopping travellers getting onto Kirk Hallam playing field are expected to get the green light this week.
The move follows four visits by travellers to the site – at the rear of Windsor Crescent – over a relatively short space of time this year, with nearby residents complaining each time about the amount of rubbish, noise and anti-social behaviour they had to endure.
Clean-ups once the travellers had left the site are estimated to have cost the council between £5,000 and £10,000 on each occasion.
Members of Erewash Borough Council’s Executive will meet this Thursday (1 December) and are expected to agree that tubular ‘hoop’ fencing should be put up along the boundary along with two gates to allow access for maintenance vehicles.
They are also expected to confirm a further £3,000 to put up similar ‘hoop’ fencing at Rutland Sports Park in Ilkeston, which has been identified by the council as a high risk site with potential entry points for travellers.
Councillor Mike Wallis, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Culture and Leisure, says:
“We understand the seriousness of the problem of travellers using the Kirk Hallam playing field site and are well aware of the impact on residents in the Windsor Crescent area. This is why we have looked carefully into the best preventative measure we could put in place and believe the tubular fencing is the best way forward – both at Kirk Hallam and Rutland Sports Park.”
If approved by councillors this week, it is hoped the fencing will be in place early in the New Year.
The meeting of Council Executive is at Long Eaton Town Hall on Thursday 1 December at 10.30am.
