Reading West MP Martin Salter today visited the Gresham Way trading estate at Deacon Way in his constituency to press for action to prevent travellers parking overnight in this location and adversely affecting local businesses.  Mr Salter has written to Reading Borough Council demanding the urgent installation of an overnight parking ban to give the police and the council the power to remove any vehicles in this location.

In his letter to Reading Borough Council Mr Salter said:

“I am writing further to the report that went to Traffic Management Sub Committee on 25^th March following my considerable correspondence regarding the problems caused by travellers camping in Deacon Way and obstructing customers and staff on the Gresham Way trading estate from going about their business.  You will recall that I have been pressing the Council to re-activate the proposal of some 4 years ago to introduce no overnight parking at the Western End of Deacon Way in order to give the police and the council the power to remove vehicles in this location.  I understand that the original proposal was objected to by Waitrose who, with breathtaking disregard for the interests of their neighbours and the wider community, decided that it was more important for them to have their staff parking on the roads as they provide insufficient staff car parking themselves at the Oxford Road store. 

I understand that the council have agreed to consult on an overnight parking ban from 8 pm - 6 am which could run into problems from Waitrose. 

Today, I met with Duncan Leadbetter, Managing Director of Thames Valley Tiles who lost £40,000 in business as a result of previous traveller incursions, to look at how such parking restrictions could be made to work.  Waitrose opens no earlier than 8.30 in the morning and no later than 9 at night therefore there is no reason why parking restrictions could not be bought in from say 10 pm to 6 am as this would not adversely affect Waitrose staff car parking in Deacon Way but would have the advantage of preventing overnight camping by travellers. 

This time  a solution must be found which is why whatever the logistical problems  I must insist that the council take urgent steps to use parking restrictions to protect this site from becoming another unofficial transit camp for travellers this summer.  Local businesses and local residents in this area have put up with enough.  The cost of implementing such a scheme would be considerably less than the amount of money that the council already spends evicting travellers from this site. ”

Duncan Leadbetter, Managing Director of Thames Valley Tiles said:

“Local businesses in Deacon Way have been badly hit by the continued presence of travellers on the public highway which obstructs access to our premises and deters customers from visiting.  We support Martin’s call for overnight parking restrictions which would bring an end to these traveller encampments which many of our customers find intimidating.” 

Councillor Tony Page backed Martin Salter’s call saying:

“It is all very well for Waitrose to want to use the public highway as a staff car park but Martin Salter is right to insist that the staff and customers of local businesses in Deacon Way should be able to go about their business without being intimidated or obstructed by the presence of travellers.  Last year’s Travellers’ Summit that I attended in the House of Commons made it clear that local authorities should be more active in protecting vulnerable sites and that is precisely what needs to happen at Deacon Way.”