Portchester precinct car park occupied by 'massive' traveller encampment with as council works to move them on

The encampment, made up of approximately 14 vans, cars, and caravans, appeared overnight, according to Councillor Roger Price, who represents the area on Fareham Borough Council.

A member of the encampment said the group is travelling through the area and plans to remain one more night.

A council spokeswoman said that the police will not be using their powers to move on the group, so this morning saw the council serve the travellers with a notice to quite and the local authority will be applying to the courts for enforcement later today.

Cllr Price said the ‘massive encampment’ comes just days after a council committee turned down a proposal to have high barriers placed in the car park to deter encampments.

The Liberal Democrat councillor said: ‘They have taken over the whole main car park. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen it. This is going to destroy the trade for the shopping centre.

‘The thing that is really gruelling for myself and other councillors is that I put a motion to the council that we should put high barriers to stop them getting in.

‘That went to a (public protection scrutiny panel) last week and it was turned down. They didn’t think spending £12,000 was economically worthwhile.’

Cllr Price said he made the proposal after a smaller incursion on the site last year, when six mobile homes and vans encamped in the car park.

A council report on the proposed barriers found that there were two illegal encampments in 2021, which resulted in a cost to the council of nearly £2,000 – however these were the first such encampments for at least 10 years.

Business owners have reported no loss of trade or footfall across the precinct due to the most recent car park encampment, but some expressed concerns about how the area will be left once the group moves on.

The owner of one small business, who asked not to be named, said: ‘My only concern is whether there will be any rubbish left behind. The council have have had to spend a lot of money cleaning up after other camps before.’

A staff member at the Knot Just Blooms florist in the precinct added: ‘I didn’t even know they were there. It’s usually this quiet on a Monday.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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