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Travellers leave amid High Court excavation order

BBC How the site in Nantyglo looks now the land has been excavatedBBC
One person living nearby said there had been "no winners" in this case

People have expressed relief that travellers who were hit with a High Court order about illegal land excavation have left.

Residents living below Nantyglo Rugby Club Blaenau Gwent said the group began excavating the site in April.

They feared that the work being done could cause the land to slip on to their homes.

A second High Court injunction on Friday ordered all work "without planning permission" must end and the landowners must "cease to occupy" or reside at the plot as of 18:00 BST on Sunday.

It also stated that "all touring caravans, trailers and all other residential paraphernalia" had to be removed by 17:00 on Monday.

One local said the last caravan left the site at 08:00 on Monday.

Christine Price has lived on the street for 12 years and is still concerned about a landslide.

"I know before they did this the earth would move now when it rains bits of rubble come down. I'm scared it'll come through the fence and end up at my back door.

"The land was virtually flat behind my fence before they did this. We are pleased they have moved on but we still need to get this steep embankment sorted."

Google How the land in Nantyglo looked before the excavation work was carried outGoogle
Residents hope something can be done to restore the earth to how it was before

Yvonne Bell, 55, whose house backs on to the site said: "I feel it is sad it had to come to this, a lot of money has been spent.

"Even if you own land you cannot do what you like without going through proper channels."

Cynthia Evans, 85, has lived on the street in front of the site for 17 years.

"I'm very relived because we didn't know what to expect," she said.

"Because this is a very quiet street with many elderly people living on it.

"The mess they've made at the back is quite unsightly, they've been excavating and digging it all up and putting big mounds of soil at the back of the houses."

Cynthia Evans
Cynthia Evans, 85, has lived on the street in front of the site for 17 years

Earlier this year the council stated that independent experts had assessed the stability of the land, concluding there was no immediate risk to the properties below or the road above.

The owner of the site previously said it would be used for grazing horses, but did not deny the possibility of housing being built there in future.

Blaenau Gwent council has been asked to comment.