Barriers approved after travellers attempted to enter village playing fields

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

Bollards are to be placed at the entrance to a car park after travellers attempted to move on to a village playing fields.

A number of unauthorised traveller camps were set up in areas around Newport and southern Monmouthshire during the summer.

Caerwent Community Council has now had confirmation it can take steps to secure access to the car park at its village hall and recreation grounds.

Monmouthshire County Council’s planning department confirmed the community council has permission to install eight bollards and metal posts, a gate and a height restricting barrier at the entrance to the car park.

The two posts, just under a metre tall, will be used for the gate and height restricting barrier to be attached and locked at the entrance to the car park from Highfield.

At present there are only concrete bollards at the edge of the playing field at its border with the village hall car park.

In its application for the certificate of lawful development Caerwent Community Council stated: “The village hall and playing fields need to be secured as there was a recent threat of invasion by travellers who sought to break the bollards at the entrance of the field.

“The recreational grounds are widely used by the community and the village hall is a valuable asset to the surrounding residents and is used on a daily basis.”

The county council confirmed the work, including the digging of the 10 holes required, could take place as neither the bollards or the posts will be more than four metres tall and the application is by a local authority meeting the criteria for permitted development rights for “erection or construction and the maintenance, improvement or other alteration”,

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