Residents celebrate as Gypsies lose appeal to stay at Meriden camp

Campaigners are celebrating after Gypsies lost their fight to retain an illegal camp on green belt land in Meriden. Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, upheld a planning inspector’s decision that the camp must go. Protesters hailed the decision “a victory” but urged Solihull Council not to let Meriden become the next Dale Farm. They called on them to restore the site to green belt quickly. Solihull council was unable to say how long the legal process would take. Leader Ken Meeson asked the public to show ‘‘patience and understanding as we now move forward.”