Angram Bank Park in Sheffield was left looking “like an open sewer” after around 50 caravans descended on it earlier this month. The group spent five days at the Yorkshire site before they left after being threatened with legal action.
Ecclesfield Parish Council David Ogle shared images of the mess and told the Sheffield Star: “It’s an open sewer on Angram Bank Park. It’s absolutely covered with waste.”
Mr Ogle claimed that it was the fourth time travellers had set up camp at the site and called on the parish council to secure the site with boulders.
The council held an emergency meeting to discuss the issue on Friday.
Mr Ogle revealed that he had been quoted £26,040 to place around 100 sandstone boulders around the park’s perimeter.
READ MORE: State pension fury over plan to ‘weaken’ triple lock
It was also not going to safeguard the field – reducing the quantity of material needed, he added.
The city council has been asked to respond to the proposals by September 13, ahead of another parish council meeting three days later.
Mr Ogle said: “I’m pleased they didn’t kick this completely into touch but I’m disappointed that they didn’t vote to take immediate action to get this work done.”
He added that there had been some discussion about whether boulders, railings or knee-high metal barriers would be the least intrusive.
Ann Whitaker, a Liberal Democrat city councillor for West Ecclesfield ward, who attended the meeting, said: “We’re all working with council officers looking at numerous options for park hardening.
“We want the park to remain openly accessible and available to residents but we need to stop travellers camping there in future. Hopefully we will get a good outcome.”
She added that she had received numerous calls and emails from residents who were unhappy about travellers being in the park, and said “we want to make sure something is done before it can happen again”.
John Teasdale, who lives opposite the park, told how travellers had camped out in the park last year and the council had placed large boulders beside the skate park but these did nothing to prevent vehicles from accessing the site.
