COUNCILLORS have agreed that installing a height-restricting gate at the entrance to the Playing Field in Wellington could prevent travellers from setting-up camp on the site.

And they’ve been told it’s a matter of “the sooner the better” to sort security.

Council officers are getting nervous about future unauthorised encampments following on from an incident at Hoyles Road earlier this year.

That incident was quickly and effectively dealt with by Wellington Town Council and partner agencies, but the authority’s chief executive Dave Farrow said they were fortunate on that occasion at how speedily it was sorted.

The council has carried out an assessment of its open spaces – The Playing Field, Hoyles Road, Burrough Way and Cox Road – to try and make them secure from future illegal encampments.

Councillors recently agreed to spend £9,900 to install mounds of earth with a concrete brick barrier buried within the bund for the open spaces at Hoyles Road, Burrough Way and Cox Road.

But there has been plenty of discussion about The Playing Field in Wellington and councillors did originally agree, in principle, to support a plan to extend existing fencing from the cricket nets round to the entrance at the Beech Grove car park at a cost of £12,000.

Councillors, however, had second thoughts on that plan when they met for their monthly meeting on Monday (September 7).

They instead supported installing a height-restricting gate at the entrance to the Beech Grove car park – which would be capable of being opened to allow emergency vehicle access when required – and could come in at a cost of up to £17,000.

Cllr Andy Govier said: “I support the height-restricting gate at the entrance to The Playing Field. It will be far better.

“We know the costs involved and this could prevent unauthorised encampments from happening in the future.”

Mr Farrow, in a report, said: “A well-designed height-restricting game would be intended to make unauthorised vehicle access difficult, time-consuming and visible, and could therefore act as an effective deterrent.”

Cllr Justin Cole reminded councillors that the council did not have the money for this project included in its 2026-27 budget.

Mr Farrow has indicated that the sooner the security measures are installed the better and that the funding could come from general reserves or met from any budget surplus.

“The main risk of not proceeding... is that vulnerable open spaces remain exposed,” he said.

The Mayor, Cllr Mark Lithgow, warned: “More sites properly secured will make those others which aren’t far more vulnerable to becoming a target.”

Cllr John Thorne said: “We want to stop traveller incursions – that’s the priority.”

Councillors were surprised when Mr Farrow told them that he yet to find any insurance company which offered cover for unauthorised encampments.

“Our insurance broker has advised that our policy does not cover the costs of clear-up following an incursion,” he said.

A final decision on the security measures for The Playing Field has been delegated to the council’s policy and finance committee.