Chesney Fields, York: 'Huge mess' at Yorkshire playing fields cleared after travellers leave
Rubbish left on Yorkshire playing fields has been cleared after travellers who had pitched up there left.
Piles of rubbish dumped on Chesney Fields, off Foxwood Lane in York, was reported to local Westfield ward councillors on Tuesday (May 26) after travellers left as a court ordered their eviction.
Liberal Democrat Coun Andrew Waller said multiple York Council vans visited the site to clear the rubbish on Wednesday while Westfield Labour councillors said a huge amount was left behind.
A council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the rubbish has been reported and was removed by Wednesday afternoon.
It comes after the council went to York Magistrate’s Court to get the travellers removed from the Foxwood playing fields following reports of their arrival on Tuesday, May 19.
The council served a Direction to Leave on the camp which was still there when the notice expired at 2pm on Friday, May 22.
Travellers also pitched up on the playing fields in April last year and July 2024, LDRS understands.
Westfield Liberal Democrat Coun Waller said Facebook on Tuesday a request for the public’s public realm team to visit the site and clear up the waste had gone out.
Following their visit, the councillor said: “Residents asked me to meet them on the field to see the volume of materials that had been left.
“The council teams have been very busy clearing up with multiple vans on the site and I thanked them for the work that they have put in.
“However, this is effort which could have gone into catching up on hedge cutting and grass cutting in the streets around the field where I have passed residents who have stopped me to make their view clear.
“Volunteer litter pickers are joining in on Thursday afternoon for small items that may have been left on the playing fields which would cause further problems.”
Labour Westfield ward councillors Emily Nelson and Jo Coles said on Facebook council staff had visited the playing fields promptly following the request.
Coun Nelson said: “We welcome the council’s swift response in getting rid of the waste once the area had been vacated.
“The staff have done a great job and it now looks tidier than before the caravans arrived.”