When residents of South Harling in West Sussex got the news that a large static caravan was going to be moved from the village to a traveller’s site, there was unrest.
They were totally unprepared when they got notices warning that their cars would be towed from the spot if they were not voluntarily moved as the static caravan was being given a police escort through the village’s main street. ‘Vehicles that are blocking our movement will be towed away at the owner’s expense,’ declared the signs giving advance warning to all car owners of this village.
The large two bedroomed static caravan which is fifteen feet wide and forty foot long was being delivered to a site that is under dispute, but maybe subject to a planning appeal. Residents watched on, in disbelief, as the huge static caravan made its way through the village and were being escorted with the assistance of two police cars and towed by a lorry. Chairman of the council, David Barnard, openly said “If the caravan is not allowed to be there, now is the time to prevent another vehicle going to the site, why help it? The concern is that once two caravans are allowed access; there will definitely be lots more of them.” There have been two caravans that have stayed in Three-Cornered Piece, which is only a short distance from South Harling, and it is a scenic site of five acres that was bought by travellers’ and moved on it during a Bank Holiday weekend. One static caravan owner said ‘They should get used to it because we are going to be around for a long while’
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