Opposition councillors believe that the city’s traveller policy needs to be made clearer after a number of new encampments were set up this week.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, leader of the Labour and Cooperative Group, said she is finding it difficult to explain the traveller policy to residents.

It comes after travellers moved onto Wild Park and Withdean Park in Brighton.

About ten vans were on the site at Wild Park, in Lewes Road, yesterday, with a further four at Withdean Park.

Coun Mitchell said she had been questioned by residents about why travellers had been allowed to stay at East Brighton Park until Easter Monday.

Brighton and Hove City Council said it negotiated a leaving date with the group to avoid costly legal fees.

But Coun Mitchell said clarification on when a site is tolerated or not needs to be made urgently.

She said: “I think it becoming increasingly difficult to understand what the Green policy is, particularly around the word toleration.

“We have just had the traveller strategy and they have left open the definition of the word.

“They said they are going to be bringing it back for clarification.

“I am finding it increasingly difficult to explain what the policy is to residents.

“I have people contacting me about the site in East Brighton Park.

“It is the Easter holidays and they have said it will be tolerated until after Easter.

“I really think we need a clear criteria and a clear policy.”

Conservative councillor Dawn Barnett said residents in her Hangleton and Knoll ward had been angered by a recent encampment at Greenleas Park.

She said: “I have got residents who said to me they are feeling like withdrawing their council tax because they feel they can’t access the things they pay for. They can’t access the park.”

Currently there are a further three traveller encampments at East Brighton Park, 19 Acres, off Devil’s Dyke Road and Black Rock in Madeira Drive.

Leader of the council Bill Randall said: “We have followed the practice of previous administrations, to sometimes use the policy of short-term toleration of unauthorised encampments to cut the costs of endless evictions, and reduce distress to all involved.

“However we will never use public parks as tolerated sites. As far as we are concerned they are absolutely inappropriate for unauthorised encampments, and we will always work with the police to move travellers on if they camp on public parks.”

Hove MP Mike Weatherley is hosting a public meeting with councillors on proposals for a new traveller site.

The meeting will be held on April 13 at Patcham Community Centre in Ladies Mile Road, Brighton.