Travellers Establish Fifth Encampment in Birmingham Park This Year, Prompting Resident Frustration

Travellers have set up an illegal encampment in Beaufort Park in east Birmingham for the fifth time this year, smashing through locks to gain access. The arrival of nearly a dozen caravans and cars on Wednesday afternoon follows repeated breaches of the public space, despite Birmingham City Council allegedly pledging to implement measures to prevent future encampments.

Residents have expressed frustration with the recurring issue, describing the encampments as a "right nuisance." Laila Iqbal, a local resident, told the Daily Mail that the park, which serves as the area's only green space, is now frequently avoided by locals due to noise and disturbances. "Every time they're bringing animals with them, there's horses sometimes, caravans, teenagers," Iqbal said. "While they're here we all avoid going to the park because they're just so loud and fighting with each other."

The previous encampment during the summer holidays left the park "completely wrecked," with damage to the turf, trees, and litter strewn across the grounds. Locals reported that during a heatwave, despite fire safety concerns, travellers lit a barbecue, prompting a fire brigade response that ultimately left the situation unaddressed.

Birmingham has experienced a significant increase in unauthorized encampments. Data from the local council revealed that the city saw 132 unauthorized camps involving 2,280 caravans during the 2025-26 period. This marks a 43% increase in encampments and a 75% increase in caravans compared to the previous year.

Majid Mahmood, a city councillor for the Bromford and Hodge Hill ward, confirmed that Beaufort Park was designated a 'Priority 1' location for a crackdown on illegal encampments in February. However, he stated that little has been done to deter further incursions. "I've actually lost count of how many times we've had travellers pitch up at the park," Mahmood said, adding that the cycle of damage and subsequent cleanup leaves taxpayers footing the bill.

"It's frustrating for residents because it's just a cycle where they come in, damage the locks, the turf and on other occasions they've damaged trees planted by a local volunteering group," Mahmood explained. "I was promised a few weeks ago that the council would come and install preventative measures but that hasn't happened yet, so we're just back to square one."

This situation in Birmingham mirrors broader trends across the country, where illegal encampments on public land and private property have become a persistent problem. Reports of "Bank Holiday land grabs," where encampments are established over long weekends, have also surfaced, with attempts to gain retrospective planning permission to legitimize the sites. Examples include incidents in Essex, Berkshire, and North Yorkshire, where unauthorized settlements were established, leading to resident complaints and enforcement actions.