PRESS RELEASE – TRAVELER ACCESS

PRESS RELEASE – TRAVELER ACCESS

The Town Council is aware that there are travellers located at Water Orton and Castle Bromwich and that some of these vehicles are on the move today.

Since the Improvements to Memorial Park project, we have a combination of tennis courts, bollards and barriers keeping vehicle movement to within the car park and away from the grassed areas. The cricket pitch is completely sealed off by barriers, trees and bollards.  The outdoors staff have checked that the barrier near the leisure centre is locked and secure and I have inspected that all the other barriers are in good working order so the football pitches cannot be accessed by vehicles from any direction.

During today, we have, with councillor agreement, not closed the Park Road main entrance barrier.  What we have done is to park a council van in the entrance such that only a small vehicle can pass alongside (i.e. no caravans, motorhomes very easily).  We will await the closure of the nursery and the end of cricket practice this evening before the Park Road barrier can stay closed overnight.

We have a cricket matches this weekend on Saturday and Sunday and will liaise with users to have the barrier opened by day and closed at night.

With the movement of cricketers, footballers, nursery parents and shoppers, there are often more cars in the car park anyway now, making it less easy and attractive to manoeuvre and park caravans, etc.  The additional security measures restrict movement to only within the car park.

While we take the traveller threat seriously, there is also a need to look after the growing number of legitimate users of the Memorial Park, which is why we are acting with the measures described.

Yours sincerely

Colin Greatorex

Town Clerk, Coleshill Town Council