Minutes

2024/43: Travellers in Newport, Formal Council Questions and Responses - Monday, 23rd December, 2024

Contact: Anne Jenkins  Governance Team Leader

Items
No. Item

1.

Question to the Cabinet Member for Communities and Poverty Reduction : 2024/43- Travellers in Newport

Minutes:

Councillor Sterry asked:

 

Could you please confirm how much it has cost the taxpayer to clear up after the current travellers that have been staying at various locations in Newport East? 

 

§  Newport live sports ground car park

§  Christchurch viewpoint car park

§  Royal Gwent car park 

§  Currently back at Newport Live sport ground car park

 

Could you also please explain to my residents who keep asking the following questions 

 

§  Why no prosecutions have been made for forced entry? 

§  Why no prosecutions have been made for illegal fly tipping? 

§  Why are they not directed to stay at the traveller site in Ringland? 

 

 

Councillor Drewett responded:

 

I am unable to comment regarding costs incurred by Newport Live and ABUHB, however costs incurred by NCC to clean and secure open spaces this year are in the region of £5,000.

 

From a legal perspective, fly-tipping is a challenging offence to prosecute due to the difficulty in obtaining evidence of the source or depositor of the waste.  However, incidents of fly-tipping are investigated by officers and where sufficient evidence can be gathered offenders are pursued vigorously

(for example https://www.newport.gov.uk/newsroom/2024/joint-action-three-gwent-councils-sees-serial-fly-tipper-sentenced). 

 

Newport City Council’s site at Ringland is not a transit site, for temporary stays, it provides permanent pitches for households from the GRT community. It has three pitches, all of which are currently let.