Firstly, the latest news on the travellers who are not on the tolerated site, but the adjacent area, occupying 39 more car parking spaces. DDDC have given them 'a Direction to Leave notice'
The Direction to Leave expires on Friday. If they are still on the car park at that time, the DDDC legal team will be instructed to obtain a court date to apply for an Order under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. If the Order is approved in court, bailiffs will be instructed to carry out an eviction of the unauthorised encampment as soon as possible.
This means that these 39 spaces could well be occupied for at least 2 more weeks or longer, more loss of parking, more loss of income for both DDDC and the businesses; more frustrated, disgruntled visitors unable to park. And this during the busy Illuminations period which starts this Saturday!!
The Parish Council today received this email from one very disgruntled visitor -
I was disappointed and furious on 1st Sunday September we had booked at the Fishpond for a carvery at 1pm arrived at 12:30 to station car park it was full drove round for 15 minutes even to overflow part nothing what really made me angry was the car park next to traveller bit has now been taken over by more travellers and fencing put across so off we go to next car park opposite fishpond FULL on near Matlock FULL so ended up cancelling meal £100+ in that establishment( x4 of us) not to count the extra spent in shops arcades etc.
Messages such as this are not uncommon in the emails that the Parish Council receives. We of course forward them immediately to Derbyshire Dales District Council.
In the nearly 2 years that the coach and car park has been the tolerated site, as well as these four visitors, the Parish Council has calculated that there have been another 51,720 car passengers and no less than 61,600 coach passengers (grand total of 113,320 - 5.15%) who have not been able to park and not spent their £5 , £10, £30 etc in the businesses in the village. I will let you do the sums.
So - who picks up this million pound plus bill?? The unfortunate businesses of the village who rely almost entirely on visitors to the village through loss of their income.
THAT'S WHO!!
Please keep spreading the word - we need all the support we can get to shout as loudly as possible!! They seem to be very hard of hearing at the Town Hall these days.