BARRIERS have been put in place in an effort to limit costly damage caused by traveller camps.

In September last year, residents in Highfield Road, Farnworth, complained of anti-social behaviour, litter and animals running free after a group of seven caravans parked on a section of land between Meads Grove and Buttermere Road.

It followed a number of instances over a period of several months in which travellers settled across Farnworth and Kearsley. However, residents close to the Highfield Road site were particularly concerned because it was the first time such a camp had been set up in the area.

The Bolton News:

Now, Bolton Council has paid for wooden barriers to go in front of the land in an effort to stop vehicles from parking on the grass.

The small posts are spaced around a metre apart from each other and block access to the site from vans or caravans.

Harper Green councillor Sue Haworth hopes the measures will deter drivers and save money in the long term.

She said: “It was a priority for Harper Green ward councillors to have prevention barriers put up at this land.

“Putting the barriers up saves on clean-up costs and at this site. The land has homes so close to it we simply could not bear to have local residents disturbed again.

“I think it is understandable that residents have huge concerns when dogs and ponies last time got into the main roads as it gave a strong feeling of insecurity about the small camp.”

The Bolton News:

Kelly Ashworth, chair of the local residents association, was also pleased about the barriers and hoped they would work to stop off-road bikers as well as traveller camps.

Following the arrival of the first caravans in September 2018, the council served a notice to the travellers who subsequently left the site.

However, a second camp was set up shortly after, in October, with another six caravans, many thought to be owned by the same people, arriving during the night.

Last year, Bolton Council repeatedly spent money on repairing damage left behind by encampments. On one occasion in May, the clean-up operation over a group of caravans which settled in Leverhulme Park for just three days cost the authority £878.

Bolton does have a designated site which travellers can use at Crompton Lodge Caravan Park, but last year a group criticised for camping in Breightmet said provisions at the Moses Gate facility were “horrible” and not fit for use.