GATEWAY Park and Ride site is entering its third day of being closed after a group of travellers settled in the car park.
The group moved into the Gateway site car park in Taunton at the end of last week, and were first given a deadline by Somerset County Council of 6pm on Friday (April 6) to leave the premises.
READ MORE: Operation to move travellers on from Taunton park-and-ride site underway
The site is currently closed to commuters, who would need to go to the Silk Mills site via the M5 Wellington junction to avoid going through traffic-clogged Taunton town centre - a round trip of an extra 25 miles.
Somerset County Council took out a permanent injunction in 2016 aimed at barring any encampments being set up at Gateway after a number of incursions over the years.
Unfortunately the Gateway Park & Ride nr J25 remains closed today. We've taken legal steps to move a group of travellers ASAP & expect the situation to be resolved within the next 24 hours. Silk Mills P&Ride remains open and may be an option. Apologies for the inconvenience.
— Somerset Council (@SomersetCouncil) 11 April 2018
READ MORE: Travellers given deadline to leave Taunton park-and-ride site
A spokesman for site owners Somerset County Council said: “We have acted as quickly as possible and staff have been working out of hours to monitor the situation.
"It’s frustrating for us and frustrating for commuters, but we have to follow the legal process.
“Two years ago we brought in a permanent injunction on the site, which in this case allowed us to serve notice to leave within hours of the traveller arriving.
“That notice has been ignored and we are set to go to court at the earliest possible opportunity seeking an enforcement notice that we can serve on the group."
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