Newark Appletongate carpark closed due to second illegal Traveller encampment in under a year

Travellers have illegally camped on a Newark carpark, causing it to be closed to the public.

Appletongate carpark, managed by Newark and Sherwood District Council, is again the site of a Traveller encampment ­— less than a year after it was forced to close when caravans pitched up.

Ten caravans are currently occupying the carpark and it has been closed by the council as a safety measure.

Council leader David Lloyd said: “It is disappointing to see another illegal encampment in the district and on land the public regularly use.

"There are sites that can be used for encampments like this and it is not a case that there is nowhere to go.

"Clearly, a carpark has been designed for the regular movement of cars in and out and to generate income, and is therefore not a suitable place for an encampment such as this.

"It is therefore very likely that we will be starting a legal process to regain possession of the site.

“This is now the second time this carpark has been used in this inappropriate way. We have made as many of our car parks as resilient as possible and protected a number of open spaces in the area.

"We may now need to do the same for this carpark despite the difficulties of doing so.

“At the present time, we estimate that ten caravans are present but this could grow. We are undertaking an assessment of the number of vans and their set up on the carpark.

"We have also cordoned off the carpark to any paying customers as previous experience shows that it simply isn’t safe to have vehicle movements in close proximity to the caravans and the families within them.

“We are now looking to engage the group to understand the purpose they are in Newark for and how long they intend to stay.

"We are also required to carry out welfare assessments.”