Large boulders placed around Southsea Common to deter illegal encampments

Portsmouth City Council has introduced additional rocks on parts of the common's border, including along Duisburg Way, in a bid to stop vehicles from being driven on.

It comes as the council was granted a court order at the end of June to evict an encampment of travellers on the Common. At one point there were as many as 34 caravans there.

The council's deputy leader, Councillor Steve Pitt, explained that it was one measure being looked at to prevent unauthorised encampments in the city.

He said: 'Because the common is such a busy and well used space anything on there like these big vehicles is a health and safety issue. It's vital we try to prevent this if possible.

'We have ordered a large amount of bigger boulders to stop that.

'That has cost money but every time we have to go through the legal process to remove encampments that costs money as well.

'It's not about being anti-traveller, but the common is not the right site for them.

'It normally takes around six days for the legal process to move them from the land. We are looking at ways it can be quicker but we are bound by the law.

'I know local people find it frustrating but we have to follow the due process.'

Council leader Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson added: 'Every time people set up an illegal encampment there we look back to see how they did and how we can we make the area more protected, because we want to make sure there are fewer illegal encampments on Southsea Common.

'We know to get to these illegal encampments people have been lifting up rocks and moving them out the way so we are having to get bigger rocks.

'It's a large space but this is one thing we can do.'

It is not known yet what the cost of the recent eviction of the travellers from the common was.

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