A Knaresborough councillor has called for a clampdown on overnight parking at Conyngham Hall.
About a dozen vehicles pitched up at the back of the car park and stayed for three nights a week ago.
Signs say overnight parking is prohibited but the rule is often flouted.
Conyngham Hall car park last weekend.
Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West, said the latest encampment, which he reported to a council officer, was the largest he was aware of.
He said:
“I have on several occasions asked for the gate at the end to have a padlock due to overnight stays of motorhomes.
“There are always excuses and reasons why not.”
Cllr Walker says the gate should be locked at night.
Cllr Walker said the cost of moving on vehicles and cleaning up afterwards could cost taxpayers thousands of pounds.
He added:
“Residents let me know every few weeks over the summer that people are camping in their vans and often leave it a mess, The council haven’t listened so far.”
The Stray Ferret asked the council what action it took against last week’s encampment and why it didn’t lock the gates as suggested by Cllr Walker.
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Steve Brown, the council’s head of parking services, said:
Travellers leave Harrogate’s Ashville College“We started the protocols needed to remove the encampment as soon as we were made aware of their arrival in Conyngham Hall car park.
“However, the process takes time and the travellers moved on by Monday. Our environment team cleaned-up any rubbish left behind.”
“This car park is open 24 hours a day.”
Travellers left Harrogate’s Ashville College last night, three days after they arrived.
The fee-paying school postponed home sports fixtures when caravans pitched up on the sports field off Yew Tree Lane on Friday night.
North Yorkshire Police said last night all vehicles had vacated the field by 7.15pm.
A police spokesperson said:
“The Harrogate neighbourhood policing team has worked closely with the college and community partners to resolve this issue.
“Our officers are continuing to liaise with all parties and are carrying out patrols in the area to address safety and security concerns.”
Ashville College
An Ashville spokesman said it served notice on the travellers to leave the school grounds yesterday morning. He added:
“The police successfully handled the departure and we are delighted to confirm that they all have left the site.
“Crucially, the order served today prohibits a return to our site within the next twelve months.
“We have secured the entrance they forced themselves through on Friday night.
Ashville head Rhiannon Wilkinson said in a letter to parents:
“It has been a challenging three days and I am enormously grateful to my colleagues in boarding who have done an exceptional job looking after the boarders this weekend in what have been difficult circumstances.”
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Police patrols monitoring travellers at Harrogate’s Ashville School
Ashville College in Harrogate said today police were conducting regular patrols after travellers set up camp on the sports field.
An encampment arrived at the independent school on Friday night.
In an update today, a spokesman for the college said it had been working with North Yorkshire Police “and other authorities to expedite the removal of the travellers from our sports field”.
He added:
“As a precautionary measure, there is a fence running the width of the site to separate the school from the travellers.
“They have been instructed by the police, who are carrying out regular patrols, not to go near school buildings or any pupils.”
Home sports fixtures were postponed following the weekend arrival of travellers.
The spokesman said:
“Thanks to the hard work and vigilance of all our teaching and support staff, the school is fully operational today, although there have been some minor adjustments for our youngest pupils in Acorns pre-prep and reception.
“GCSE and A-level examinations are running as usual in the sports centre. Sports lessons, and after-school clubs and activities, are also uninterrupted.
“We are providing regular updates to families until the situation is resolved, and thank them for their continued support and understanding.”
Travellers previously pitched up on Ashville’s sports fields off Yew Tree Lane in August 2021 and demanded money to leave.
The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police what action it had taken but has not received a response.
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