AFTER years of tirelessly fighting for a deterrent to prevent travellers from accessing a road in Cottingham, local councillors have finally achieved their goal.
Keldgate Road, off Harland Way, should be a prime route for those walking to Cottingham High School from Skidby and now, after working closely with residents, East Riding councillors have had a gate installed in a bid to prevent the long-term problem.
Councillor Ros Jump decided about four years ago something had to be done to tackle the issue. She said the problem has cost the council a significant amount of money.
She said: "It's a handy place to stay because they've got access to the rest of the village but, unfortunately, when they leave, they leave so much rubbish and also a certain amount of destruction.
"It's been a long-running sore as far as the villagers are concerned and it's got to the stage where it's costing the local authority an awful lot of money.
"Things couldn't progress as they were and it wasn't fair on the neighbours, although there aren't very many, but to look out and have the intimidation – and it's a safe route to school from Skidby and it was deterring the children from taking that proper route."
"We've worked tirelessly with the residents to make sure they're happy with whatever goes up and finally the East Riding decided the gates would be the answer.
Residents are happy, so, hopefully, now they will have a peaceful existence up there and they won't be bothered by dogs barking through the night."
The gate has physically blocked the road off to vehicles, with the exception of residents and those authorised to use the area, who have a key to allow vehicles to enter.
The road can, however, be used by cyclists, walkers and horse riders, and it is hoped the area will get a new lease of life.
But it has not been hailed as the answer just yet. Councillor Geraldine Mathieson said: "We've been working very closely with all the people directly affected up there and with the Parish Council
"We've had the opinion of the people who actually use the area.
"It'll be much nicer I think on that part of Cottingham, but there will always be knock-on effects, there's always unforeseen effects as well when we do anything in life.
"In an ideal world, we would have temporary stop-off places for the travellers. We don't live in an ideal world and we haven't got any, so where the people who have been in the habit of parking there will go in future we're not sure yet, but we'll wait and see."
Fifty per cent of the cost of the gate was funded by Yorkshire water and Cottingham Parish Council also gave several hundred pounds.
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
•Politics news for Hull and East Riding
