Thousands have been spent clearing up after unauthorised Traveller encampments in Reading, a freedom of information request shows.
Nearly £20,000 was spent on clear-up costs between 24/4/2021 and 5/1/2022 - a total of £19,654.55.
The biggest bill was £14,681.73 for a clear-up at the Cattle Market car park on 24/4/2021. Other sites included Thames Promanade £253.23, Palmer Park £559.99, Cintra Park £406.35 and £737.40, Hills Meadow £724.65, Rabsons Rec £839.91, Alfred Sutton School £358.07, Kings Meadow £582.90 and Rivermead (Private GLL) £510.32.
Figures have not been made available since January 2022.
"Since 2022, the Parks and Open Spaces Team has been formally integrated with the Street Cleansing Team to establish a unified operational unit known as Streetscene Services. "This strategic amalgamation was undertaken to streamline service delivery, enhance operational efficiency, and provide a more cohesive approach to managing public spaces across the borough. "As a consequence of this restructuring, the financial reporting practices have also evolved. "Specifically, the costs associated with the clean-up of unauthorised encampments are now absorbed directly within the Streetscene Services budget. "These expenses are treated as operational overheads and are not itemised or separately collated for reporting purposes. "This approach reflects the integrated nature of the service and ensures that resources are allocated flexibly to meet the demands of maintaining clean, safe, and accessible public environments."
The council was also unable to provide totals for legal fees, safeguarding and repairs from 2021/22 to 2024/25.
"Only a proportion of illegal Traveller encampments in the borough incur legal fees, as many encampments quickly move on from encamped land either before or soon after the instruction of Legal Service
"Legal fees incurred in dealing with traveller encampments has ranged anywhere between approximately £70 up to approximately £2,500, including bailiff costs.
"It depends on a number of factors, including (i) how much work this Legal Service has to undertake, (ii) the size of the encampment (iii), whether court action is required, and (iv) whether the instruction of bailiffs is required and if so, the number of bailiffs required."
The council had been exploring an approved site for Travellers in Reading. A scheme for seven pitches in Island Road, Whitley was approved in March 2023 but abandoned in 2024 after flooding fears and objections from the Environment Agency.
The council spent £936 on the application fee, bringing the total recorded spend to £20,590.55.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
