Politics · United Kingdom · 2 hrs ago
Birmingham digs trenches around parks to deter unauthorised encampments
Birmingham City Council has dug trenches around at least three parks to deter vehicles from entering.
The parks are in the English city of Birmingham, including Daisy Farm Park, Manningford Road and Chinn Brook Recreation Ground.
The council says the measures respond to repeated unauthorised encampments and damage to boundaries during the summer.
Officials have used legal processes to clear caravans from public land, but encampments have then appeared elsewhere.
The council says ditches and other barriers are site-specific measures to protect public spaces and are used when considered necessary.
It says it will review and monitor the measures at each location.
Birmingham City Council has dug trenches around at least three parks to deter unauthorised encampments.
The measures have been used at Daisy Farm Park, Manningford Road and Chinn Brook Recreation Ground.
The council says recurring incidents and damage to existing boundaries and access controls led it to consider wider preventative measures.
It says ditches and other landscape changes are used only where considered necessary and appropriate for a particular site.
- Who
- Birmingham City Council dug the trenches.
- What
- Trenches were dug around parks to deter unauthorised vehicle access and encampments.
- When
- Over the past few months; one trench at Chinn Brook Recreation Ground was dug in August.
- Where
- At least three parks in Birmingham, including Daisy Farm Park, Manningford Road and Chinn Brook Recreation Ground.
- Why
- The council cited recurring encampments and repeated damage to boundary infrastructure and access controls.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Birmingham experienced repeated incidents in which travellers arrived in caravans, motorhomes and vehicles to set up camp.
Trenches were dug at the entrance to Chinn Brook Recreation Ground in Yardley Wood.
Trenches were dug around Daisy Farm Park.
The council dug trenches around at least three parks in Birmingham.
- Parks affected
- At least three
- Daisy Farm Park
- Off Maypole Lane in Highter's Heath
- Manningford Road
- Druids Heath
- Chinn Brook Recreation Ground
- Yardley Wood; trenches dug in August
- Council rationale
- Recurring encampments and repeated damage to boundary infrastructure and access controls
What people are saying
The council adopts a range of proportionate site-management measures to deter unauthorised vehicle access and unauthorised encampments on parks and open spaces where there is an evidenced history of recurring incidents.
The use of ditches, bunds and other landscape interventions forms part of a broader toolkit of options and is implemented only where considered necessary, appropriate and site-specific.
trench was currently being dug out in Manningford Park to prevent any unlawful encampment