Having successfully persuaded the Government to hold a ‘Call for Evidence’ on the issue of Unauthorised Traveller Encampments which have blighted large parts of the West Midlands and my Aldridge-Brownhills constituency last year, I am pleased that the Government has formally announced the details of their consultation something I have been pressing for in recent months.
I am pleased that the Government has announced this consultation and that they have agreed that local residents will be able to feed into the consultation something I have called for repeatedly. Following a year in which there were unacceptable numbers of Unauthorised Encampments across Walsall Borough it is absolutely understandable that my constituents were at breaking point.
The Government’s consultation will be an opportunity for residents to have their views heard on the issues faced by the settled community when an Unauthorised Encampment arrives on their doorstep and I hope residents from across my Aldridge-Brownhills constituency who have been affected by this will participate in this consultation and make their views heard.
I have repeatedly raised this issue in Parliament because of concerns raised by my constituents. I am hoping this will be the opportunity to redress the balance and understand whether existing legislation needs implementing more effectively, or needs strengthening. The current system is not working effectively.
Full details of the consultation can be found here.