WILTSHIRE Council has come under fire this week due to their slow response to news of travellers’ camping on Melksham Park. The travellers camp has threatened the Food and River Festival on the park this weekend but organisers say that the Festival WILL definitely go ahead.
The travellers moved in King George V playing fields on Friday night (24th August) and were still there on Tuesday (28th August). It has caused serious inconvenience to organisers of the Melksham Food and River Festival this weekend, one of the biggest events in the Melksham calendar.
And already, a children’s summer activities day in the park on Tuesday had to be moved, to the disappointment of many parents online.
Kylie Short said, “Great, bet there will be no activities for the kids on Tuesday then.”
Jane Warburton said, “Not happy as if it doesn’t go ahead the children (and parents!) will be so disappointed. I, for one, am very grateful that this gets put on each year. However I do understand the position those in authority have been put in.”
Now campaigners are saying action should be taken to stop this ever happening again.
Mayor cllr Adrienne Westbrook, said, “I am really frustrated with the situation – it’s ironic that they show up on the land at 6pm on a Friday when they know that Wiltshire Council is closing.
“I understand that Wiltshire Council have to carry out welfare checks – but the process is slow and laborious. It is five families in the park disrupting the lives of 20,000 people. I appreciate that they have rights – but the rights of 20,000 people are important too.
“I am disappointed that Wiltshire Council is not letting us know what is happening.
“The Food and River Festival WILL be happening – there are no two ways about that. I want the Melksham community to show up on the weekend, support us, and also send a message that this is our park and we will not be discouraged from using it.
“I have chatted to the three of the families camped in the park and they said that they will gone by the end of the week. I joked that this would be after Wiltshire Council have told them to leave, and they said ‘yes’.
“Regarding today’s summer activities being moved from the park to Canberra – again this is five families affecting the lives of the Melksham community.
“Why are there no Wiltshire Council duty officers working at weekends or on Bank Holiday weekends when they know that these things happen when they close. We reported the settlement on Saturday and all we got back from them was a tweet saying that they would deal with this on Tuesday – this is not acceptable!”
The tweet mentioned from Wiltshire Council said, “We are aware of the illegal encampment on King George V playing fields #Melksham and will be working on the issue from Tuesday with our partners @wiltshirepolice”.
Melksham News approached Wiltshire Council for comment yesterday (Tuesday 28th) to which a Wiltshire Council spokesperson said, “We have an officer on site as we speak. We will conduct welfare checks as our first action as required. We will then issue a Notice of Trespass and liaise with the Police regarding eviction from the land.”
As of print, the travellers were still encamped on the park and Wiltshire Council were unable to tell us how long it would be before they were moved on.
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