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A group of travellers who have been living at a former county council
highways depot at Tredavoe near Newlyn, were due to appear at the County
Court in Penzance yesterday afternoon to fight eviction orders. The hearing
follows two previous court appearances held last year and a campaign by
some residents and councillors for their removal.
The previous hearings were adjourned by the judge on both occasions,
the first in order to give the travellers time to find legal representation
and the second time for the county council to serve a 14-day notice of
its application for summary judgement.
Speaking before yesterday's court hearing, the travellers said that they
now accepted they had no legal case to put before the court in favour
of remaining on the land, but said that they were putting forward a "moral
and ethical" defence.
"Penwith has no official site for travellers, so there is nowhere
for us to move on to," said Anya Thompson, one of the residents at
the old depot.
"The site at Tredavoe has cost the council and ratepayers zero pounds
and has been successfully self policed even though it was attacked by
vigilantes over the Christmas period."
She said the group of men and women had been living on the county council-owned
site for nearly two years, during which time they had transformed the
former dump into productive land where they had been growing vegetables
and sunflowers.
They had also enhanced the wildlife habitat at the site and last summer
saw a host of wild visitors including the spectacular hummingbird moth,
rare butterflies and numerous species of bird.
Last year they held an open day for local people in an attempt to dispel
any fears or stereotypes they may have had about them.
After a presentation to Penzance Town Council, they even secured a vote
of support for their lifestyle at the camp.
However, Newlyn councillor John Payne threatened to resign over the council's
decision, which was later withdrawn.
Mr Payne campaigned to have the travellers removed from the site, stating
that local residents and business people were opposed to their illegal
occupation of the old depot.
He presented the county council with a petition signed by more than 100
residents and some 17 businesses calling on the travellers to be evicted
from the site.
article copyright © THE CORNISHMAN
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