Overview
- A small unauthorised traveller encampment arrived at Grange Lane/Grange Field on Monday, August 17, and Hampshire police have attended while Gosport Borough Council says it is monitoring the site and working with landowners.
- Council contractors parked a line of vehicles at the field’s edge and sent a tractor to cut dry grass in an effort to stop further arrivals and discourage the group, with residents reporting more people arrived after staff left for the day.
- Earlier in August a separate encampment at Fareham’s Park Lane recreation ground was evicted after about two weeks and left piles of litter, abandoned items and alleged damage that the local council says it must clear up.
- Local politicians and Reform UK figures including Nigel Farage have used the incidents to demand immediate removal powers, barriers to restrict vehicle access and changes to planning rules that they say currently hamper enforcement.
- Councils have no fast statutory route to force removals so landowner action, police liaison and civil processes are being used now, leaving councils to cover clean-up and repair costs and keeping the debate focused on whether national law should change.