Residents' 'frustration' after travellers move onto park four times in six months - Birmingham Live

Residents' 'frustration' after travellers move onto park four times in six monthsThe matter of constant incursions on Swanshurst Park will be raised at a ward meetingCommentsNews

birminghammail.co.uk12:40, 03 Jun 2025Travellers are back at Swanshurst Park in time for the Bank Holiday weekend(Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live) Tougher measures to stop travellers

accessing a popular Birmingham park are set to be demanded.

Convoys of caravans have repeatedly driven onto Swanshurst Park, on the outskirts of Moseley and Billesley, and set up camps on the fields.

‌ On Sunday, June 1, a new set arrived just 24 hours after a volunteer group collected around 30 sacks filled of rubbish following the departure of travellers last week.

‌ READ MORE: Travellers move back on to popular family park 24 hours after clean-up

There have been four incursions this year - hitting the city council financially and leaving locals unable to access sections of the popular beauty spot.

Fed-up councillors and residents were due to call for increased deterrents at a Moseley ward meeting tonight, Tuesday, June 3, where the council's interim head of parks was due to be in

attendance.

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Coun Izzy Knowles (Moseley) said: "I've been made aware that travellers are at Swanshurst Park and residents are upset.

"We are expecting it to be raised at the meeting with the park manager."

‌ Campaigner Sulliman Khan said: "It's frustrating, this is the fourth time they have returned this year and residents are fed up.

"They do not feel safe when travellers are on the park and it's not fair on the groups like the Friends of Swanshurst Park to be cleaning up the mess left behind.

"It's beyond the point of having evictions, the park needs better defences."

Article continues below The council previously said: "Birmingham City Council is committed to actively protecting its land and will take steps to recover this land where unauthorised

encampments encroach upon it.

“The council has useable transit sites and plots for use by the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community – which is in line with Government policy – and details of the Gypsy and Traveller

Accommodation Assessment carried out and updated in 2019 can be found on our website."