Bolton Council are helping landowners after Travellers moved on to a car park where they have set up camp

Nearby residents spotted the group on Friday evening, after around a dozen caravans parked up in the Valley car park.

Bolton Council has confirmed it is aware of the travellers and has advised landowners to follow the normal legal processes.

The landowners are not affiliated with the Cineworld. 

Travellers have settled in the car park before, most recently in 2023 before they were evicted by the council.

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Earlier this year, Bolton Council and Greater Manchester Police applied for a closure order at the Moses Gate site, which was a permanent home for travellers.

It is not clear if the Travellers are those who were told to move off Crompton Lodges, the permanent Gypsy and Traveller Site in Moses Gate in July.

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “We can confirm that the council is aware of the encampment at the Cineworld site.

“Officers have been in touch with the landowners and advised them to follow the normal legal process.”

The legal process typically takes around two to three days.

A large group of travellers have moved into a car park in Astley Bridge.

Nearby residents spotted the group on Friday evening, after around a dozen caravans parked up in the Valley car park.

Travellers have settled in the car park before, most recently in 2023 before they were evicted by the council.

Local councillor John Walsh said he was made aware of the camp and sent a message to the council immediately.

He said the group were parked illegally and although it was on private land, the council could still get a court order to evict them.

Cllr Walsh said: “It’s inconvenient to the residents and a lot of people live there now – there’s been a few new developments built there and there’s a major road through the valley.

“The use of that land in that way is not acceptable.”

He said he believed the group returned to the car park because the previous order had expired.

Cllr Walsh said that even after getting an order, however, evicting travellers can be “quite costly”.

Cllr Walsh said: “They park illegally at the cost of others in the area.

“It’s unfair to council taxpayers having to pick up the burden of damage to their property and the cost of managing the site.

“There are decent travellers, I accept that, but those who do illegal activities do damage to the reputation of them as a whole.”