On the defence

Although officially closed after being trashed by a group of travellers in January 2001, Chisledon Firs is currently home to a community of about 50 people. Many have been there since November, even though it currently lacks basic toilet facilities.

But the official re-opening of the facility is planned to combine with £20,000 worth of new work to stop travellers using unauthorised sites.

Some £6,000 is to be spent on earth works to stop caravans going on to Snods Hill on Dorcan Way. It is the completion of a scheme started two years ago, when small walls were built at Dorcan for the same purpose.

Another £14,000 is to be spent on defences at Elmore Park, in Eldene, which also has a long history of unauthorised traveller encampments.

A combination of mounding, tree-planting and fencing is intended to secure the site.

Ward councillor for Dorcan Pete Brown (Lab) said: "Dorcan has had some horrendous problems with travellers over the last few years.

"It has been the top issue in Dorcan over the last few years.

"Hopefully these new defences will solve it once and for all."

Chiseldon Firs was closed in January 2001 following the departure of a group of travellers who left burnt out cars and tons of rubbish at the site.

Swindon Council was left with a £20,000 clean-up bill.

The council plans to include the introduction of a waste skip there, regular visits from the traveller liaison officer and the introduction of a height restriction barrier to regulate the groups who use the site.

Jemima Milton (Con) is the ward councillor for Chiseldon.

She welcomed the latest moves .

But she said: "It's okay while we have got a group up there like the one at the moment which is looking after the site.

"But there is no exit strategy should which have a group that are causing horrendous problems like the one in the past.

"I feel we should be able to move them on if we want to but we can't and I think that is wrong."

Councillor Milton also voiced concern that moves to fortify council land against travellers will push them on to privately-owned sites.

The council officer in charge of travellers' issues, Les Hosegood, was unavailable for comment on the details of the latest proposals.

They go before the council's Community, Culture and Recreation Commission for approval on Tuesday evening.

But the latest group to gain access to Chiseldon Firs last November says they are committed to looking after the site.

There are currently about 12 caravans on site and five families.

Resident, Mary Connors, 34, said: "We are very happy here. The site is lovely and we want to keep it that way.

"We can pick and choose who wants to come here.

"If people don't respect the site we won't have them here.

"This is our home and we want to keep it clean and keep our kids healthy.

"We don't want to be moved on all the time from place to place."

She said the site was rat-infested and rubbish-strewn when they first arrived and many of the children suffered from diarrhoea and vomiting.

Mrs Connors said the community now has a good relationship with the council.

Most of all she hopes that the council will at least provide them with mobile toilets.

She said: "Currently pregnant women and children just have the use the countryside around the site.

"It's not very nice for us or for the local community."

Last week the Government announced plans to increase police powers to clear illegal traveller's sites.

The Home Office has also called for an increase in the number of official temporary stopping places like Chiseldon Firs.

Both Swindon's MPs have welcomed the measures as well as councillor Pete Brown.