Council seeks 'reset' in travellers relationship

PRESSURE GROWS AMID DELAY IN TEMPORARY STOPPING SITES PILOT

- ALEXANDER BROCK Local Democracy Reporter

BIRMINGHAM City Council has said it wants to 'reset' its relationship with those in the travelling community as encampments take their toll on the city.

Caravans have been seen parked at a number of parks and recreation grounds in recent weeks, including in Bartley Green, Yardley, Billesley and Kings Heath.

The council has obligations to provide appropriate transit sites it can direct encampments to when they happen in the city.

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

But one of the council's two transit sites has suffered from repeated damage and vandalism while another has been home to “long-term occupants”.

In a report, the council said the issues at both sites had created “pressures elsewhere” in the city where unauthorised encampments occupied public spaces.