COUNCILS have promised to do more to keep travellers off of public land - after a summer of discontent.

The Echo revealed how Castle Point Council was reviewing its open public spaces policy to protect parks and verges.

David Marchant, chief executive of Castle Point Council, said bollards would be installed where there is a likelihood of future traveller encampments.

Now Southend and Basildon council have promised to follow Castle Point’s lead and identify solutions to the ongoing issue.

A spokesman from Southend Council said: “In many high-risk areas we have measures in place such as bollards, fencing and gates in parks and height restriction barriers in car parks for instance.

“However there is no one-size fits all measure and when we introduce anything like this we have to consider all issues, including the specific nature and use of that site, and the general accessibility and openness for local people, businesses and visitors for example.

“We do keep the security and access arrangements to our land under continued review, as any responsible landowner should.”

Councillor Alan Ball, Basildon Council’s chairman of the regeneration and environment committee, said: “Basildon Council takes the unauthorised occupation of council owned land very seriously and is committed to doing all it can to prevent such incursions.

“We will be undertaking a review of council owned land in order to establish if measures can be taken to prevent such incursions in the future.

“We will discuss the matter further at September’s meeting of the regeneration and environment committee.”

However Conservative Basildon councillor Kevin Blake said the councillors are already doing as much as they can - and believes the Government must do more.

He added: “There are lots of parks in Basildon without bollards, but the travellers chose last week to pitch up on Rushley Park, where there is a one tonne bollard.

“It is a mystery why they chose to go onto that park.”

He added that access had to be maintained to the parks for grass cutting equipment, the emergency services and so that people could enjoy them, and this meant there was always a “weak link” in any defences.

Mr Blake continued: “Councils are doing all they can, but it is the government that is not doing enough. They need to improve legislation to make it easier for them to be moved on.”