More than £300,000 has been spent on tackling unauthorised encampments in Reading in the past five years with illegal incursions continuing to cause chaos in the town’s parks each summer.

Reading Borough Council (RBC) spent £16,220 on tackling encampments last year (2020/21), a five-year low amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, encampments are continuing to cause chaos in the town, with travellers having set up for a month now at Kings Meadow, disrupting children’s football matches and not leaving despite a court order.

READ MORE: Reading council sets target date for travellers' Kings Meadow departure

Travellers have illegally taken over many parks and green spaces across the town in recent years, including Palmer Park, Cintra Park Alfred Sutton Primary School playing field, Victoria Recreation Ground, and Rabsons Recreation Ground.

One caravan was set alight following an incursion at Rabson Recreation Ground , while ‘things almost got ugly’ when caravans sped across football pitches mid-match at Cintra Park.

The costs to the council of tackling encampments in the last five years

These are the costs over the past five years, broken down by category.

2016/17

Legal fees – £20,998

Clear-up Costs – £58,000

Safeguarding Measures and Repairs – £0

Total – £78,598

2017/18

Legal fees – £36,447

Clear-up Costs – £36,000

Safeguarding Measures and Repairs – £104,000

Total – £176,447

2018/19

Legal fees – £23,750

Clear-up Costs – £3,558

Safeguarding Measures and Repairs – £0

Total – £27,308

2019/20

Legal fees – £14,450

Clear-up Costs – £13,637

Safeguarding Measures and Repairs – £6,164

Total – £34,251

2020/21

Legal fees – £5,747

Clear-up Costs – £8,473

Safeguarding Measures and Repairs – £2,000

Total – £16,220

Challenges of finding permanent and transit sites for travellers

The council has agreed there is a need for a transit site for up to 10 caravans as well as a permanent site.

At a recent council meeting, Green Party councillor Rob White asked for an update on plans for a traveller transit site.

Cllr White called for the council to “show respect” to the travelling community’s way of life by providing a transit site with decent facilities.

Councillor Tony Page, lead member for Environment, Planning and Transport at RBC, said the council has been “working for some time” to find suitable permanent and transit sites for gypsies and travellers but virtually all sites are near to homes and often at high risk of flooding.

The council identified a possible site at Cow Lane in 2017 but in the end this site was needed for a new school, River Academy, which is opening in September 2023.

Cllr Page said: “Since then, the council has continued to try to identify possible sites within its boundaries to meet permanent and transit needs, as well as working with neighbouring authorities on whether our needs for permanent accommodation can be met on less constrained land just outside the borough boundaries.

“This work is ongoing and further information on progress will be reported when it is appropriate to do so, but identifying a site is a difficult process given the very tight constraints on land in Reading.

“The council continues to actively work on this as a matter of importance and a report about transit site provision is expected to be brought to the next Policy Committee on November 1.”