Travellers set up camp in Welshpool

Travellers have set up camp on a Mid Wales car park today - just hours before work on a new one-way system was due to begin.

A handful of caravans and motorhomes have parked up in Welshpool's Church Street car park which is due to be partially closed for work on the new road layout to begin in the next 24 hours.

Powys County Council said it was expecting the travellers to move from the site today, with officers due to attend the scene for talks.

John Evans, council spokesman, said: "We are sending council officers to Church Street car park in Welshpool today to discuss the matter with them.

"We have been told provisionally that they are only staying there one night and should have left by Friday morning for the work to start as planned."

Emrys Owen, who parks at the car park each day, said he was surprised to see the travellers had taken over part of it.

He said: "I come in the back way and could barely get past this morning. There must be half a dozen or more caravans.

Trees

"I hope the council can sort it out, because they have taken up dozens and dozens of parking spaces."

Meanwhile, contractors have begun felling trees at the car park ready for the work to begin.

Tomorrow the council is taking out of use 50 car parking spaces for 10 weeks to allow highways works for the new Tesco store.

Mr Evans said: "A total of 270 spaces will remain for the public to use once the scheme has been completed.

"This is the first stage of the highway works which will see a new one-way system introduced in the town and Tesco is due to open its doors to the public in February.

Robert Robinson, Welshpool town clerk, said the work on the one-way system should be completed by December.

He said: "The work on the plan has been going very well and we are getting closer to getting things sorted. The gas works are currently ongoing and we will work around this and hopefully the new one-way system will open on December 5."

By Andrew Morris