City tells traveller families to get out

Travellers who set up a camp on industrial land in Wolverhampton more than seven years ago have been ordered off the land by the city council.

Families living at Bluebird Industrial Estate, Park Village, claim they have now been issued with an enforcement notice after a ruling that the five chalets and six mobile homes had been set up illegally.

John McCarthy, owner of the caravan park, revealed he is appealing the enforcement notice and will take his fight to the European courts if necessary.

He said Wolverhampton City Council had issued a similar enforcement notice several years ago, but had never taken any action against the site, and there have been no objections from local residents.

John Gemmell, speaking on behalf of 55-year-old Mr McCarthy, said: "They tried to use an enforcement notice seven years ago, but they never carried it through.

"We have hired an expert solicitor and will fight it all the way to the European courts if necessary."

At a planning meeting last January, council chiefs refused an application for retrospective permission, leav- ing the 11 families who live there devastated.

Head of planning control Stephen Alexander told the meeting the Bridge Street site design led to "unacceptable living conditions".

The site was formerly a scrapyard and planners said it also took up industrial employment land in the city.

The travellers have been supported by the community, including Heath Town's Councillor Milkinder Jaspal, who said: "Keeping it as industrial land is wrong because we have lots of space on the estate. If they are moved off, this will be another industrial site which is standing empty."