Clamping down on ‘locust’ Travellers

EMOTIONS ran high last night as one Royton councillor referred to Travellers as a “plague of locusts.”

Councillor Steven Bashforth made the outburst after Graham Boundy, principal environmental health officer for Oldham Council, was brought in to talk about what the council is doing to clamp down on illegal sites.

The topic was raised after Travellers recently passed through playing fields in Middleton Road.

Mr Boundy explained that the council will begin eviction proceedings, which should take five to seven days, as soon as they discover that Travellers have moved on to a site illegally.

But he added that if some Travellers need to use local facilities like hospitals, council officers might not be able to evict those Travellers.

He also told the meeting that travellers can drag the enforcement process out by appealing against an eviction and that if they are found to be tipping, they have often already left the site before action can be taken against them.

Councillor Bashforth said: “This is an example where it seems the baddies can do what they want. I consider myself to be a humanist and a socialist, but Travellers are more like a plague of locusts when they descend.

“Any romantic notions people have of them travelling around in colourful caravans are just rubbish.

“I feel horrible saying that but there’s nothing the council can do other than what they are doing.”

Local resident Barrie Deuville said: “These people come with trucks and diggers and they can deal with any obstructions that are put in their way. They don’t respect Oldham Council or Oldham residents.”

Some residents suggested that a permanent Travellers’ site should be considered.

Mr Boundy confirmed that authorities are collectively discussing that option at that moment.

However, Councillor Tony Larkin said: “People might think that would be a good idea, but the very same people will also probably say ‘not in my back yard thank-you very much.’

“What we don’t need is to enact the policies of far right groups that would see us machine-gunning Travellers out of the water as they are coming up Middleton Road.”

Whispers getting louder over assembly hall
THE Royton Assembly Hall debacle has now reached the chief executive’s office, with Charlie Parker set to turn on the strong-arm tactics to force some movement from the developers behind doomed project Whispers.

Councillor Steven Bashforth said: “Charlie Parker wrote to Whispers Developments a number of times to discuss the issue and they’ve completely ignored him.”

And in a statement sent to the Chronicle this morning, Mr Parker said: “I have recently written to Wasim Khan, of Whispers Developments, to again demand an urgent meeting. I have regularly attempted to engage Mr Khan in both an open dialogue and secure his attendance at various meetings — all of which has failed to draw a response or appearance from him.

“I also insisted that we should receive a schedule for the completion of works prior to our next meeting but again no response has been received. I further warned that failure to deliver on either count will now leave me with no option other than to consider what further action the council can take to bring this matter to a conclusion.

“These delays are hugely frustrating. Royton deserves better.”


End of the road for free parking?

THE prospect of battling to find a parking space in Royton could soon be a thing of the past after council chiefs announced a possible end to the generous extra-long free parking provision.

Anyone visiting Royton can currently park in the district centre car park for free for a generous 18 hours. Some residents have complained that it stops short term visitors finding a space.

Now, traffic enforcement officers are hoping to cap free stays at four hours.

Residents broadly welcomed the move, with new co-optee, Pearl Malcomson, saying: “It’s dangerous having so many cars there for so long.”


PARKING permits could be issued in Carlton Way.

Residents have long had to contend with packed streets as visitors to the hospital and Latics games have parked in front of their homes. Numerous traffic calming measures have failed to solve the problem but the officers are currently consulting with residents with a view to possibly bringing in residents’ permits.