Dewsbury Railway Station: Travellers evicted from car park two weeks after arriving

After setting up camp over two weeks ago, travellers have finally been evicted from Dewsbury Railway Station by the local council.

Travellers were first reported to have been encamped at the Wellington Road site on December 18. Caravans could be seen lined up on one side of the car park. They were finally evicted on Wednesday (Jan 3).

Before the travellers could be evicted, a welfare check was carried out by Kirklees Council as part of the local authority’s five-stage process.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This covers the notification of encampment and land ownership checks, a welfare assessment and site visit, the legal process, eviction, and finally the clean up and re-securing of the site.

The encampment at Dewsbury Railway Station. Credit: Martyn BoltThe encampment at Dewsbury Railway Station. Credit: Martyn Bolt
The encampment at Dewsbury Railway Station. Credit: Martyn Bolt

Some feel that this process is too drawn out, with the council previously coming under fire for not using the full weight of the law to move travellers on more quickly.

One councillor who has urged Kirklees to act faster is Councillor Martyn Bolt. He also expressed concern about a damaged barrier at the station car park allowing it to be more easily accessed.

The council was adamant that the barrier does not need replacing but says that steps will be taken to minimise the risk of this happening again.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Coun Graham Turner, cabinet member for finance and regeneration, said: “Whenever we’re made aware of a traveller encampment on public land, there’s a legal process we need to follow in order to safely evict the encampment and clear the land for public use.

"This eviction process is now underway for the car park on Wellington Road, and we’ll be working to move the encampment on today (Jan 3).”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice