Steve McCabe MP says urgency is required in the talks involving West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council in an effort to resolve the recurring ‘travellers’ problem which has disproportionately affected certain parts of Birmingham over the past year. Yesterday travellers moved onto Hazelwell Park and Recreation Ground after leaving the exact same site only a few weeks ago.
Since July 2015 travellers have moved on to the Stirchley site, next to Hunts Road, on five separate occasions. Each time the area is blighted by dumped rubbish, waste and reports of anti-social behaviour.
Steve has been in touch with the Council and the Police over his concerns. Following the latest incursion the Council are following a standard procedure by serving a two day notice and if the travellers have not left the site by Monday 15 August the Council plans to evict them. The police in South Birmingham have been reluctant to use their powers to enforce more speedy evictions although West Midlands Police don’t appear to be following a uniform policy across the city or the force area.
Steve McCabe MP said:
“I am fed up of being contacted by my constituents who tell me that travellers have moved onto Hazelwell Park again and are leaving the place in a mess.
“I have been in touch with the Police and the Council who are in the process of putting together a protocol to deal with this problem across the city. I do feel that not enough attention is being paid to the problems experienced by my constituents. We need some urgency and we need a range of solutions and local people should be consulted on the options available. The current response is too slow and too costly for council tax payers. In an effort to be constructive I intend to consult my constituents on the options and solutions that might help resolve this continuing problem”
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