Camp relocated after court order as club assesses damage and disruption
A group of caravans that had been occupying the playing surface at Redcar Athletic has been moved to a field next to Redcar Racecourse after the local authority obtained a court order.
Local councillors instructed enforcement action after the vehicles arrived on the football club’s land earlier this week. On Thursday morning roughly 12 to 15 caravans left the pitch and set up about a mile (1.6km) away at the foot of the racecourse, near the town’s Primary Care Hospital.
Redcar Athletic’s president described the episode as difficult for the club. He said it had been “a very challenging few days” while the campers were on the pitches and confirmed that organised activities had been cancelled. The club has begun a formal inspection of its facilities.
“We are now busy assessing the facilities and ensuring that it is safe for activities to return to the site. We do know that damage has occurred but we can't comment on specific damage until we have had the opportunity to take a proper look.”
A council spokesperson said the land next to the racecourse is owned by the authority and those now on the site had been given another notice to leave by 6pm on Friday. Officers judged the new location to be an "unacceptable location" for the encampment.
Immediate local impact and next steps
Residents and sports users in Redcar have faced disruption: training sessions and fixtures were called off while the club sought to protect players and check the pitch. The council’s action has prioritised moving the encampment off the playing field, but the new site remains on council-owned land and is subject to the same enforcement powers.
- Number of vehicles: about 12–15 caravans
- Initial location: Redcar Athletic pitches
- New location: field at the foot of Redcar Racecourse, adjacent to Lorton Road
- Council action: court order to leave; fresh notice to quit issued with an 18:00 Friday deadline
The people in the caravans told reporters they were from Ireland and said they were in the area on holiday. The council has not published details about any follow-up welfare checks or offers of support, but its statement made clear the authority considered the new site unsuitable for an encampment.
Wider context for Redcar’s green spaces and clubs
Incidents of unauthorised encampments place pressure on volunteer-run sports clubs, whose budgets and manpower are already stretched. Redcar Athletic’s immediate concern is to verify the pitch is safe for players and to assess any repairs required. The club’s temporary cancellation of activities highlights the knock-on effects local groups face when public spaces are occupied.
| Action | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Court order served | Camp moved from football pitch |
| New notice to leave issued | Deadline set for 18:00 Friday |
| Club inspection | Assessment of damage and safety ongoing |
For residents, the primary concerns are public safety, access to green space and the condition of community facilities. For the football club, there is also the practical problem of repairing any harm before regular programming can resume.
The council has reiterated its right to require removal from its land, while the displaced group has indicated they are visitors. How officers balance enforcement with any welfare or accommodation considerations will shape the final outcome for the site near the racecourse.
Locally run sports clubs and community groups in Redcar will be watching the situation closely. If the caravans depart by the council’s deadline, the focus will move to recovery of the pitch and planning to prevent similar incidents in future. If not, further enforcement action may be necessary.
