Travellers Camp: Meriden Protesters To Stay On

By Adele Robinson, in Meriden, near Solihull

Campaigners camped out in a protest against an illegal travellers' site say they will stay in place until the community moves on.

Residents in Meriden, near Solihull, West Midlands,have been keeping vigil opposite the caravan site for more than 1,060 days.

They set up camp a week after the travellers moved on to greenbelt land over a May bank holiday weekend in 2010.

They say they now hope their three-year legal battle is at an end after the travellers' last-minute appeal against the eviction were thrown out by a judge this week.

The Romany Gypsies now have until April 21 to vacate the site and a further month afterwards to restore it to its original greenbelt state.

However, Doug Bacon, vice chair of action group RAID, is worried that they could see another Dale Farm situation:

Protesters have been on the site for more than 1,060 days

"We're anxious that they'll be allowed to stay. Dale Farm lasted 10 years, this has lasted three years nearly already, we are anxious that the process will continue to be strung out and we are determined to ensure that that doesn't happen.

"We won't be leaving until they do."

The travellers on the site believe they have been treated unfairly but told Sky News that they were planning to leave because they will be arrested if they do not.

However, they also say they have not been offered anywhere that they consider suitable to go.

Anne Brereton, of Solihull Council, said that the council does not legally have to find another site for the travellers but that they were trying to work with the community:

"The judge agreed that a 12-month period was a reasonable amount of time for them to make alternative arrangements.

"So that gave plenty of notice, thinking about the schools, the children in schools, so the obligation is very definitely with the families rather than the council."

Campaigners, like David McGrath, of Meriden RAID, have welcomed new rules which will give councils greater powers to take more immediate action against those trying to flout planning laws.

"Temporary stop notices will hopefully avoid the Dale Farm and Meriden spectres whereby illegal developments happen in short order over a bank holiday but take many years and hundreds of thousands of pounds to sort out," Mr McGrath said.

"This is an affront to all hard working gypsies who want to be good neighbours."

Among the proposals being brought in by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles are fines of up to £20,000 if orders are ignored.

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