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Illegal Travellers encampment on Short Heath Green Flag site.

by Ian Shires on 24 July, 2015

TravellersTravellers have broken onto a Green Flag site off Bentley Lane, Short Heath giving rise to concerns from residents on the nearby Manor Farm Estate and the many users of the local Country park.

 

Willenhall Liberal Democrats have lobbied Walsall Council to take urgent action action to evict those responsible for this illegal incursion onto Bentley Haye Country Park. In response Walsall Council has said that it has begun the legal process to move the travellers on.

The last time this happened it cost local Council tax payers £thousands to clean up the mess travellers left behind. At that time Willenhall Liberal Democrats were successful in also getting the council to improve security on the site. A heavy metal barrier was installed and an earth bund built to restrict access should the metal barrier be breached. Well that didn’t work did it otherwise we wouldn’t be facing the same problem again would we?

According to Walsall Council there is a need to have a Bentley Lane entrance to enable Walsall Countryside Rangers to maintain the Country Park. We didn’t agree with the council last time there was an incursion and this latest breach in the security of this highly prised Green Flag site proves we were right and that the council needs to re think its strategy. It’s our view that access for maintenance can be provided in a less obvious place in order to protect this asset to the local community.

We also recognise that this is not the only site in Willenhall where travellers have set up their illegal camps in recent weeks, there’s another just down the road in Shepwell Green and there have been others across the borough of Walsall.

Walsall has official sites set aside for travellers and the council is in the process of reviewing land use across the borough. It’s our view that where people have rights they also have responsibilities. Walsall Council through its Scrutiny Process is reviewing its Community Cohesion Policy, as part of that review Liberal Democrats will be asking that Travellers organisations be contacted as part of this review in order to look at the rights and responsibilities of travellers.

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