I would like to ask Councillor Geoffrey Theobald why he prefers to have travellers in the parks in his ward rather than on proper traveller sites.

The planning application for a permanent site was passed but Coun Theobald requested Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to call in it.

This means the development cannot start until he agrees.

In the meantime more than half the pitches on the transit site are out of use as the drainage needs upgrading and the council wants to do this at the same time as building the permanent site.

This means many travellers have nowhere to go. Henfield Common, Ditchling Common, Ditchling Road, Dyke Road and the traditional stopping places are all backed up.

Where does Coun Theobald want travellers to go? Into the city centre?

Juliet McCaffery, Sussex Traveller Action Group

In response to the issue of travellers parking up on our parks, no they shouldn’t be on our public places.

But in regard to them having the council giving them their own bins, all I’m saying is they don’t actually ask our council to provide for them and they certainly don’t scrounge from the benefit system in the way other people do – the so-called “benefit scroungers” sitting at home, not working, expect the Government to pay for them.

Travellers don’t ask for handouts and the men also go out to work to provide for their families.

I think they get bit of bad press – what harm have they done to you? Or do you just go against them as that’s what you think you should do. There are good and bad people in every walk of life and they should be assessed as individuals.

name and address supplied

A circus departs from Preston Park in Brighton but the clowns in the council remain.

Local ratepayers are once again expected to foot the bill to remove unwanted travellers from yet another site.

How many more times does this have to happen?

If travellers wish to stay for a brief time in this lovely part of the world they should be provided with facilities that allow them to do this.

Adrian Smith, Clappers Lane, Fulking