PETITION Update - this has gone out to press

Over recent days we have had some Councillors who have come out of the woodwork and a number of Council Officers from both Walsall and Sandwell Councils being quoted in various newspapers. None of them however seem to have acknowledged the petition that 1351 have signed about this matter. It is their lack of response and action previously that prompted us, or I should say forced us into raising a petition. Petition Link: https://www.change.org/p/sandwell-council-removal-of-unauthorised-encampments-on-the-yew-tree-delves We have approached many Councillors and Officers over the last 18 months without response and indeed we approached MPs. My own elected member Tom Watson has not responded to us and despite being asked to support our petition seems more concerned in getting people signed up to his website/database. I must however thank Valerie Vaz MP for response and update as she looks into the legalities further. In recent days our local Cllr Chris Worsey has offered his support and we expect to meet up next week to discuss further. Our petition is quite clear and has been handed in to Sandwell Council to take a lead in discussing matters further with Walsall Council and the West Midlands Police. Since the petition was started Sandwell Council’s Director for Regeneration and Economy, Nick Bubalo, has been quoted as co-ordinating a Black Country meeting between respective councils and police to look at the matter of travellers more strategically with a targeted approach. Does worry me that he has not included a community voice, and I’d be happy to be a part of these discussions. Cllr Christopher Jones portfolio holder for clean and green at Walsall Council describes the matter as demoralising. He is not wrong. It has been a real struggle getting those in elected positions and officers from the two neighbouring councils to talk to each other. Does make me wonder how the West Midlands Combined Authority will cope. It is also demoralising for all within the community who have had to put up with the mess, the ASB and associated problems. It is no wonder that tensions are high. We are currently waiting for Sandwell Council’s Governance to advise on a date when our petition will be put before council and we hope that it is not too long. In the meantime I’d ask both Nick Bubalo and Cllr Jones to look at inviting us to attend meetings where the matter of travellers is discussed and indeed any other meetings where issues are raised that the whole community should be involved and engaged in. Again since the petition was started we have had discussions with various members of the Police and it is quite clear that communication channels between Police, Council and the Community are not as good as they ought to be. Communities need to know what is going on and they need to see a presence. I also understand that currently there is not a Council Liaison Officer available over the weekend which can slow down procedures as the Police await their lead on various sites. This does need looking at, as does the method in applying for Court Orders and a review on the use or otherwise of Sections 61-62 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The matter of physical preventative methods also needs to have the community engaged in as we seek long term sustainable solutions to the matter and not quick fixes that are merely a sticky plaster. The use of trip fences, bollards and similar do not work and we have seen many of these broken and driven over. We need to look at other solutions and the use of high containment kerbs, pedestrian access points, pinch gates and natural hedging. This could be a multi agency approach and also have the added positive outcome of dealing with other parking issues outside of schools and increasing wildlife habitat. More vision is required together with long term sustainability and effectiveness. I look forward to hearing from Sandwell Council and also from the other persons mentioned earlier to ensure that the community is involved and the matters raised in the petition are given positive consideration.