Gypsy campaigners new eviction battle - Meriden

FACT is often stranger than fiction - and that couldn't be more true in the case of the Meriden campaigners who have been holding a 24-hour vigil at an unauthorised Gypsy site in the village for almost 600 days.

Villagers set up a temporary shelter for their round-the-clock vigil base at the entrance to the Eaves Green lane site when the Travellers moved in over a year-and-a-half ago.

They have held vigil, led campaigns, urged legal action and made representations to local and national Government in what has been a successful bid to have the Travellers evicted.

But in an ironic twist, Solihull Council's Planning Committee is now being asked at its December 21 meeting to vote on whether or not to evict the protesters from their makeshift base - despite the Travellers still not being booted out.

David McGrath, leader of the protesters' group Meriden RAID has hit back at the council's push for their eviction saying it was adding insult to injury.

"The action is totally unnecessary as we have already signalled our intention to leave when they take enforcement action against the Travellers," he added.

"That is reasonable and fair.

"It seems that it is easier to pick on law abiding taxpayers who care about the environment rather than the Travellers.
#
"We have won our case and no-one wants to take action against the Travellers any time soon."

Mr McGrath is calling on the council to defer a decision to allow discussions to take place to agree a voluntary timescale for withdrawal 'just like they would do with the Travellers'.
He added: "We will not be wasting money on legal appeals.

"The money that we normally raise at this time of year as a community is for deserving Charities and we wont waste it fighting the council instead.

"They need to be realistic and work with us otherwise it will escalate."

He conceded that if the council ordered the protesters to remove their shelter then they would comply but would simply return and sit on the ground - and snow if necessary - to continue their protest.

"We do not want the taxpayers to spend any money evicting us – unlike the Travellers who string out legal appeals," he added.

If Councillors approve the action the protesters could be asked to move within 28 days or face the baliffs.