A large convoy of travellers has set up camp in a Birmingham park, with cars, caravans, and trailers parked on green fields between College Road and Twickenham Road in Kingstanding. Horses were seen grazing and wandering around the land, which is adjacent to a football club and a McDonald's restaurant.
Details of the Encampment
The entrance off College Road is used as a short-cut by the public to Finchley Park and Kings Road. The convoy was parked close to the back gardens of homes off Twickenham Road and pathways. There has been no word on evictions, but the council previously stated: 'Birmingham City Council is committed to actively protecting its land and will take steps to recover this land where unauthorised encampments encroach upon it.'
Recent Traveller Camps Across Birmingham
There have been multiple recent traveller camps set up on public land across the city, including around 50 caravans parked on Barnes Hill. Earlier this week, the council confirmed its pilot programme to introduce temporary sites for travellers was 'not progressing'. With unauthorised encampments in green spaces leading to clean-up costs and disruption, the council previously said it wanted to introduce a 'negotiated stopping' programme in a bid to improve the situation. It would have involved unused pieces of land in Birmingham being used by the travelling community for 'short-term stays'.
