Call for city-wide ban on travellers

ACITY-WIDE injunction banning travellers from all parks and open spaces in Birmingham is the only way to stop them, say residents and councillors.

The council is being urged to ban all illegal gatherings within its boundaries or risk the city being seen as an “easy target” for travellers.

Groups of travellers moving around together are switching between parks and evading legal action on each occasion, according to complaints.

Just over 100 illegal encampments were recorded in Birmingham in 2017-18, involving an estimated 1,500 caravans.

Conservative councillors Adam Higgs (Highter’s Heath) and Bruce

Lines (Bartley Green) have submitted a motion to Birmingham City Council urging tougher action.

They say: “The response is too slow and too variable across the city, which encourages those intent on acting in this way in coming to Birmingham and moving around the city from park to park, as and when evictions are eventually carried out.” They want:

A city-wide injunction;

Costs of legal action and any cleaning costs to be recovered from traveller families;

Increase the period of time in which trespassers directed from land would be unable to return again (from three to 12 months);

Act on camps of two or more vehicles, rather than the current number of six or more;

Allow police to remove trespassers on land which forms part of the highway;

Allow police to direct travellers to lawful sites in neighbouring authorities as well as within the city;

Promote clear ways for residents to raise the alarm at the first sign of traveller camps arriving.

The councillors say they were moved to demand tougher action because of continuing concerns among residents.

Their motion, which they want the full council to back, says: “The council believes everyone should be welcome in this city as long as they are law-abiding and have respect for other residents and visitors.

“Behaviour which blocks public access to parks, intimidates residents, damages property and leaves behind mess that has to be cleared at tax payers’ expense should not be tolerated from anyone, regardless of their background.

“The Council condemns the damage and disruption caused by individuals and groups who have unlawfully set up encampments in the city in recent years, such as on popular local places such as Daisy Farm Park and Pype Hayes Park.”

Injunctions banning encampments from moving onto eight city parks are in place but a citywide ban would remove that “postcode lottery” approach.

Councillors Lines and Higgs want the Labour-led council to write to the Government supporting giving additional powers to the police and to make deliberate trespass a criminal offence.

They also want the council to work with police to adopt a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to all unauthorised encampments and fly-tipping.

Finally, they want the council to commit to proactively work with local communities and ward councillors to identify areas vulnerable to trespass and install measures to deter traveller camps.

The city does not have an authorised transit site where travellers are permitted to camp, despite pledges to set at least one up.

All councils are required to abide by legal protections for traveller communities – including that gypsies, Romanies and travellers are protected under Article 8 of The Human Rights Act, specifically “right to way of life”, while local authorities are also required to consider welfare issues for anyone on an unauthorised encampment prior to deciding any course of action to recover vacant possession.