A BURNTWOOD councillor has called for action after a group of travellers moved on to land in Chase Terrace.
The group set up camp on Larks Rise Park off Fair Lady Drive last night (14th March).
Cllr Steve Norman, Labour representative for Chase Terrace ward, said he had been in touch with Lichfield District Council chiefs about the issue.
He said:
“The council must go through a legal process and this will take a few days unless the group of travellers agree to move on more quickly.
“As far as I am concerned, the encampment meets at least three of the conditions for legal action to be taken.
“According to the chief executive of the district council, he understands that the police did attend the sites last night but took no action – but the council will raise this with them once more on Monday. They will also begin the court process to remove the encampment again.
“I am pleased that we will now be fully briefed on progress and as local councillors we will in turn inform residents.
“It does not help, however, that the district council has never provided a traveller site in the district, something the current process for the New Local Plan recognises and will need to address.”
I disagree with LDC on a lot of things, but not providing a traveller site is something I totally agree with them on, they have tried multiple times to locate sites but there is nowhere suitable. We’re a small district with no where appropriate.
The Traveller/Roma/GRT community are well served by sites in our surronding districts, but instead they choose to illegally occupy land here every year or so. I hope LDC takes the toughest possible action against those that choose to break the law.
A splendid addition to brighten up Burntwood
Feel so sorry for the residents living in this area as even though these “lovely, salt of the earth characters” could be gone in a few days the amount of chaos that they leave behind can be shocking and unfortunately they seem to be untouchable by the authorities. If law abiding people who contribute to society did what these lot do heaven help them. BTW would Steve Norman like to have an official traveller site erected very close to where he lives? Thought not.