Devon County Council is to review its car park height barriers after Travellers got into a busy Exeter park-and-ride location.
People living near the Digby and Sowton park-and-ride want the council to install better barriers after a group of Travellers set up camp there.
Hours after a convoy of cars and caravans left a car park at Exeter Arena, the vehicles turned up in the Digby and Sowton park-and-ride area.
One local resident wrote to the council saying: “Yet again Travellers have gained unauthorised access to the car park and have corralled their vehicles and caravans in there.
“Their vehicles are even parked in the access roads inside the car park.”
The resident said the barrier was partially open, and people living in the area wanted to know if it was left open or was forced open.
“Whichever it is, taxpayers are inevitably going to be, once again, footing the bill,” he added. “And having visited the car park today, the scattered litter has already commenced, and the Travellers have dogs so no doubt, like last time, there will need to be a dog excrement clear up.”
He said the car park needed a robust overhead barrier locking mechanism like other car parks with the same overhead barriers, and added: “Lessons are not being learned.”
A spokesperson for the county council said: “We are aware of the unauthorised encampment and we are applying our usual processes. This is set out in the handbook for managing unauthorised encampments.
“The height barrier is designed to limit access from tools and has a secure lock. However we will review the arrangements.”
The encampment was reported to police and to the county council, which began a series of measures to get the vehicles moved.
The council has a detailed protocol to follow when Travellers arrive on its land. This involves visiting the site to assess welfare needs, issuing a ‘Direction to Leave’ notice, which typically happens within 24 hours, and, if necessary, applying to the County Court for an eviction order to regain possession.
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