Illegal encampments

We are committed to preventing illegal encampments in the district. New plans will see a range of measures put in place to deter illegal encampments from pitching up at 21 key sites.

The aim is to direct them to land that has specifically been allocated for transient travelling groups.

Out of these 21 at risk sites, 15 of these are owned or managed by the District Council. Five sites have been identified as high risk, eight as medium risk and eight as low risk.

In identifying and prioritising locations where these measures will be implemented, we considered the sites history, proximity to main roads, ease of access onto the site and the size of the green space area. 

High risk sites

  1. Sconce and Devon Park
  2. Newbury Road estate
  3. Thorpe Oaks open space
  4. Cleveland Square
  5. Thorpe Close play area

Medium risk sites

  1. Clay Lane open space
  2. Lincoln Road recreation ground
  3. Mead Way open space
  4. Sherwood Heath
  5. Barnby Road play area
  6. Autumn Croft open space
  7. Riverside Park play area
  8. Collis Close

Low risk sites

  1. Vicar Water County Park
  2. Dodsley Way open space
  3. Lake View open space
  4. Fleming Drive play area
  5. Hawtonville advice office
  6. Boughton open space
  7. Syerston Way
  8. Chestnut Avenue

Proposed measures

We have considered a range of modifications for each site including bunding (earth mounds filled with wild flowers), tree planting, bollards, height barriers, boulders and access gates.  Where possible natural barrier approaches will be used.

Four key areas that require more extensive planning and design work have been identified. These are at Sconce and Devon Park, Thorpe Oaks open space, Newbury Road estate and Thorpe Close. Currently we are undertaking consultation with residents in these areas to present artistic visualisations that have been created by specialist landscape designers to ensure that residents can see what schemes are being proposed.

Three of the four site consultation events have taken place. These include Newbury Road, Thorpe Oaks and Thorpe Close.

Artist impressions and drawings

Construction of excavated bunds - not to scale (PDF File, 74kb)

Construction of excavated wildflower bunds - not to scale (PDF File, 69kb)

Landscape Bund Artists Drawing - not to scale (PDF File, 598kb)

Machine Posts - not to scale (PDF File, 355kb)

Meadow Mound Artist Drawing - not to scale (PDF File, 465kb)

Newbury Road

Aerial shot - Newbury Road site (PDF File, 1,595kb)

Ghost drawing - Newbury Road site (PDF File, 312kb)

North shot - Newbury Road site (PDF File, 231kb)

Overview shot - Newbury Road site (PDF File, 363kb)

South shot - Newbury Road site (PDF File, 239kb)

West shot - Newbury Road site (PDF File, 221kb)

Thorpe Close

Aerial shot - Thorpe Close site (PDF File, 973kb)

Plan - Thorpe Close site (PDF File, 188kb)

Thorpe Oaks

Aerial shot - Thorpe Oaks site (PDF File, 1,123kb)

Plan - Thorpe Oaks site (PDF File, 238kb)