Birmingham residents are bearing the brunt of a surge in unauthorised encampments, with reports of human excrement, rotten food, and stray animals becoming a regular occurrence in local parks and green spaces. The number of such encampments across the city soared in 2025/26, causing significant disruption and mounting clean-up costs for the local authority.
Council admits to inadequate transit site provision
At a recent licensing and public meeting, Birmingham City Council acknowledged that it does not have the number of fixed, permanent transit sites that a city of Birmingham's size should have. This shortage, according to councillors, is a key factor driving the rise in unauthorised encampments, as travellers have nowhere else to go.
Coun Sam Forsyth voiced her frustration, stating: "For a city of our size, that we do not have adequate pitches for what are a disadvantaged community is quite frankly outrageous. It's a festering sore in this city that we do not have adequate provision." She added that the lack of provision "can lead to unauthorised encampments that we are seeing."
Residents left to deal with the aftermath
Coun Forsyth highlighted the burden on ordinary residents, who are often left to clean up after encampments are moved on. "It's a real shame but I know a lot of park groups are utterly fed up now of having to do the tidy up," she said. "They're having to deal with human excrement, rotten food, sometimes stray animals. It shouldn't fall on ordinary residents, albeit with litter bags. It's not really their job to have to deal with that."
The issue has been compounded by the fact that the council's previous plans to address the problem have stalled. A proposed 'negotiated stopping' pilot, which would have allowed travellers to use unused land for short-term stays, was ditched because "it has not been possible to identify enough suitable sites." Similarly, the council admitted it was "not able to find any sites to allocate" within its Local Plan, the blueprint for the city's future development.
Council's current transit sites and future plans
According to a recently published council report, Birmingham currently operates just one developed transit site at Proctor Street, with a further site at Tameside Drive requiring formalisation of the occupancy of its current occupants. The report noted that "work continues with the current occupants of Tameside Drive with a view to normalising their occupancy and bringing the rest of the site into operational use as a transit site."
The council has also pointed to the West Midlands Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) as a potential long-term solution. "The SDS will look at the wider needs for plots and pitches across the West Midlands area and how these needs might be met and apportioned in each local authority area," the council previously said. "An initial consultation on the SDS is expected in late 2026."
Financial and operational pressures on parks service
The impact of unauthorised encampments extends beyond residents, with the council's parks service facing "substantial financial and operational pressures." The report stated: "Over recent years, the number of illegal incursions into parks has increased significantly on an annual basis. These incidents not only disrupt the safe enjoyment of parks by residents and visitors, but also result in substantial financial and operational pressures for the parks service."
The ongoing costs associated with clean-up, reinstatement works, and asset damage continue to strain limited budgets, while also impacting public confidence in the city's parks provision. In response, the council has taken "proactive steps" to secure capital investment over the next two years to "target harden" vulnerable park boundaries, improve site resilience, and deter unauthorised access.
Council promises security improvements
Earlier this year, the council vowed to bring in 'security improvements' at several parks that have been repeatedly targeted by unauthorised encampments. These measures are part of a broader strategy to reduce both the frequency and impact of such incidents. The council also confirmed that its Gypsy and Traveller service is now led by a dedicated team focused on improving engagement and building trust with the travelling community.
Coun Forsyth called the situation a "constant problem" and expressed dismay at the lack of adequate provision. "I think if we asked a resident on the street, they would be horrified by that," she said. "This is a constant problem." The meeting heard that the issue is now affecting "large parts of the south and north of the city," with park groups across Birmingham "utterly fed up" with having to undertake clean-up efforts themselves.
As the council continues to grapple with the challenge, residents are left hoping for swift action to address both the immediate impacts and the underlying lack of transit site provision.
