Leeds City Council has gained a wide ranging injunction to prevent travellers from setting up unlawful encampments on key environmentally sensitive areas of land across the city.
The six sites are: Holbeck Moor, The John Charles Centre for Sport, Gassy Field at Armley Gyratory, Roundhay Park and Soldiers Field, Wykebeck Valley and land around Kirkstall Abbey.
Councillor Peter Gruen, Leeds City Council executive board member with responsibility for neighbourhoods, planning and personnel, said:
“We considered our options extremely carefully when applying for this injunction, and I’m delighted that it has been agreed. These sites have all suffered unlawful encampments in the past, and we know the encampments can cause disruptions to local people as well as incurring costs for council tax payers with the tidying up and court fees associated with moving people on.“
“These injunctions build on our previous success in creating an even handed approach to working with travelling communities. This includes using both toleration agreements and injunctions to help offer a robust solution to tackling unlawful encampments.
“This sends a clear message that we won’t put up with unacceptable use of land and the negative behaviour associated with it.”
South Leeds Life reported in May that the Council are planning a temporary travellers site on Kidacre Street in Hunslet, close to the Crown Point Retail Park, to boost the inadequate number of pitches for travellers in the city.
