A RESIDENT who lives next to the Apperley Bridge train station has written a letter to Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe expressing his frustration that an encampment of travellers has not been removed from the station's car park.

In his letter, the resident who lives at Little Park, has asked "why after over three weeks the travellers who have taken up residence at Apperley Bridge station have not been evicted."

He also wants a "formal response and a meeting with (landowners) West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) to understand their proposed solutions to fly-tipping and general abuse to train users at Apperley Bridge Station."

The WYCA have moved to reassure residents, saying that remaining travellers at the site should be "evicted in the coming days" and "clean up of the site would commence" after they are safely removed.

In his letter, the resident said: "Over three weeks ago on Friday, October 2, travellers took up residence in the station car park.

"Since that time there have been a number of deadlines from WYCA to remove the travellers – which have not been met. At the time of writing (Sunday) the travellers are still on site.

"Perhaps even worse though are the conditions at the site; piles of rubbish are strewn in the access road and at the site itself.

"We have been verbally abused when walking through the site to use the station.

"Whist this has gone on – there has been no clearance at the site of waste, no temporary toilets, no security and no progress on getting the travellers removed.

He goes on to say that these issues are "totally unacceptable and I would like to raise a formal complaint about the mismanagement of the site by WYCA".

He proposed setting up an online meeting with interested parties, neighbours and members of the WYCA to discuss the progress on removing the travellers and the anticipated timeline, the clean-up of the site, plans to enhance security measures to ensure that this issue does not happen again as well as plans to prevent further fly-tipping at the site now it is being seen as an eye-sore.

A spokesperson for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: “Following the court hearing on October 15, notices were issued to the occupants at Apperley Bridge train station.

"Whilst some families have moved on, many remain. Arrangements are in hand to secure their eviction in the coming days.

"Following the eviction, arrangements to clean up and secure the site will commence.”

More than 20 caravans filled the car park when the community arrived in early October, with some bringing commercial vans and excavation equipment in tow.

The T&A's attempts to contact Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe and Friends, Families and Travellers, the organisation which represents travellers, were unsuccessful.