Travellers pitch up at Aldridge Airport for second time in four weeks
Travellers have set up camp at Aldridge Airfield for the second time in four weeks – prompting calls for a permanent injunction to ban them from the site.
Dozens of caravans arrived on the land, off Bosty Lane, on Friday ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend. The previous convoy pitched up at the end of July.
People living near the site, which has not been used as a full-scale airfield since 1956, say they fear for their safety.
While Greenacres Model Aero Club members, who use the area to fly their aircraft, have described the travellers’ arrival as ‘truly awful’.
A statement on the club’s website said: “Warning to all members. We have a very large group of caravans parked up all over the Aldridge Airport site.
“About 50 to 60 vehicles in total, including some horses. Some caravans are parked up on our normal weekend strip rendering it unusable.”
Jim McHugh, from the club, said: “They cause us great distress. Whether it is bad luck or planning on their part they tend to turn up before our public displays.
“Twice this year they have turned up about a week before one of our displays. Back in July we were about an hour away from cancelling the whole show because of them.”
The council introduced an injunction earlier this year giving it the power to move encampments on within 24 hours at a dozen other sites across the borough – including Anchor Meadow in Aldridge.
Now Councillor John Murray is calling for the same protection at the former airfield.
He said: “They have caused a lot of disruption especially for those who live near the airport. One family I spoke to were looking at doing all sorts of things but had to postpone. It also causes problems for those using the outdoor centre and the aero club.
“Not only that but it is the incredible mess that is left behind – including human waste,” he added. “Rightly or wrongly people simply do not feel safe and secure when travellers are here.”
He added: “We warned the council officers if they did not include other areas like Aldridge Airport (in the injunction) they will be used for unauthorised travellers sites more often. Now they are very regular, it is not just every few months it is every few weeks.
“We are calling for the council to obtain a second injunction to include all of these spaces like Aldridge Airport, which see regular unauthorised encampments.”
A council spokesman said: “We are aware of the unauthorised encampment at Aldridge Airport. Our Community Protection Officers served a S77 Notice to the occupants yesterday (Tuesday), requiring them to vacate the land.
“If they fail do so, an application will be made to court on Thursday for an order to evict them.
“This is part of the legal process the council is required to follow to re-secure the site.
“We will now continue to follow the agreed Council/West Midlands Police joint protocol to secure the land back as soon as possible.”
