Tourists park a group of RVs on a popular scenic location despite warnings for residents to stay away, and the council promises to remove them

A group of travellers have parked a fleet of caravans on a much-loved beauty spot as locals are warned to stay away.  

Dozens of vehicles and trailers parked-up on playing fields at Swanshurst Park, in Birmingham on Sunday 30 March just weeks after their last visit.

Birmingham City Council has assured to reclaim the land, but local groups have advised individuals to avoid the area if they are uneasy.

Friends of Swanshurst Park, a volunteer group with an interest in caring and advocating for the park, often tend to a wildflower meadow in the area. 

The council mentioned that an eviction notice would be issued to the community and shared on social media, stating: “Travellers have been spotted at Swanshurst Park again.

‘For the safety and comfort of the public, it is suggested that people refrain from engaging in activities near the wildflower patch while the travellers are nearby.

‘The notice will be served as soon as possible for them to leave but realistically, they will not be gone before the end of the week.’

A group of travellers have parked a fleet of caravans on a much-loved beauty spot as locals are warned to stay away

Dozens of vehicles and trailers parked-up on playing fields at Swanshurst Park, in Birmingham on Sunday 30 March just weeks after their last visit

A council spokesperson said: ‘Birmingham City Council is committed to actively protecting its land and will take steps to recover this land where unauthorised encampments encroach upon it.

‘The council has usable transit sites and plots for use by the gypsy, Roma and traveller community – which is in line with Government policy – and details of the gypsy and traveller accommodation assessment carried out and updated in 2019 can be found on our website.’  

The travellers also occupied the park in May and October last year forcing the council to step in again to remove them. 

The council said it would liaise with communities and businesses who may be impacted by plans to introduce up to 15 temporary sites for travellers.

A pilot programme, set to begin in the summer, could see ‘negotiated stopping’ sites made available and would involve unused pieces of land. 

They typically provide hard standing for holding caravans, a secure boundary and basic sanitary provision, while some also provide electricity.

But due to factors such as repeated vandalism and unauthorised encampments, the council’s two operational transit sites have often been closed.

This comes as the number of ‘illegal’ traveller sites being set up across the UK is on the rise with local councils increasingly unable to remove them, a planning enforcement officer has claimed.

New planning policy announced by Labour housing secretary Angela Rayner in December will force councils to release green belt land for travellers to create permanent encampments if there is an ‘unmet need’.

Angela Rayner introduced new planning proposals that will compel local councils to house travellers on greenbelt land if they fail to provide nomadic communities with sufficient land

One of the new proposed locations for a travelers site in South Gloucestershire is on greenbelt land at Shortwood Hill 

A new site for travellers and Gypsies in Darlington has been recommended for approval by the Borough Council. The new site could be built on land to the east of Neasham Road on Hurworth Moor (pictured)

At present neither temporary or permanent travellers sites are allowed on green belt land as they fail to qualify as ‘very special circumstances’ – but that is about to change.

In the original consultation published to the National Planning Policy Framework in August, the document states: ‘We intend our proposals to support the release of green belt land to address unmet needs for traveller sites.’

The response to the consultation, published in December, made clear that proposals should not be regarded as ‘inappropriate’ in cases where there is an ‘unmet need’ for the type of development – including traveller sites.

In January this year South Gloucestershire Council announced the location of 100 new traveller sites, many of them on greenbelt sites.

The plan also includes safeguarding 15 existing sites for travelling showpeople – and one new site for travelling showpeople in Pucklechurch.

The local authority was reprimanded by a government planning inspector back in 2022 for a ‘history of policy failure’ after failing to provide sufficient land for travelling communities.

Now the council has proposed the ‘expanding or intensifying’ of numbers of already-existing sites and the creation of 14 brand new locations over the next 15 years.

That includes the safeguarding of greenbelt land in Pucklechurch and Hambrook for traveller communities to reside on.