Birmingham City Council set to trial “balanced and humane” approach to roadside Travellers

Gypsy/Traveller campaigners have welcomed the news that Birmingham City Council is set to trial a “balanced and humane” approach called ‘negotiated stopping’ to roadside Travellers in a bid to meet its legal equalities requirements, cut costs, and improve inter-community relations.

A Council report published on the 13th November – seen by the Travellers’ Times – recommended that the trial of a ‘negotiated stopping’ approach to roadside Travellers start in the Spring of 2025, and also revealed that moves had already been made to ensure that the trial will be a success.

The Council report describes negotiated stopping as:

"a common agreement is made between gypsies and travellers and the local authority to use an unused piece of land as a temporary stopping place. It is therefore favoured by gypsy and traveller communities and local authorities alike as a balanced and humane approach to managing roadside camps, based on a mutual agreement between the local authority and Gypsy and Traveller families. It also helps to direct communities away from contentious public spaces to more appropriate council land for a temporary period."

West Midlands Romany Gypsy campaigner Abeline McShane welcomed the news – adding that it was something that she had been campaigning to achieve for years.

“Adopting negotiated stopping is a step forward for Birmingham City Council, particularly because it does not have a usable transit site,” she said.

“Negotiated stopping will help roadside Gypsy/Traveller families, including those who have major medical issues that need to be dealt with.”

According to campaigners, negotiated stopping is an alternative to the more usual ‘zero tolerance’ approach and consists of a contract between mobile Travellers and councils that saves authorities money in clear up and legal fees, rewards good behaviour by Travellers living on roadside encampments and provides household rubbish and waste disposal from the council in return. The council also directs Travellers away from contentious public spaces – like playing fields – and onto more appropriate council land in return for a longer stay for the Travellers involved.

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One of the first local authorities to pioneer the approach was Leeds City Council, who officially adopted negotiated stopping a few years ago, and Birmingham has already consulted with them – according to its November 13th report.

“Our aim is to manage Unauthorised Encampments (UEs) better in the Birmingham area through potential provision of short stay “Negotiated Stopping” accommodation with settled and available Transit Sites (28 day residing areas across Birmingham) for families wishing to remain in the city for longer periods,” states the Council report.

“Overall, our aim is to meet the needs of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities residing in Birmingham or whilst travelling through the borough of Birmingham whilst also respecting their cultural needs and considering the impact on the settled communities in any given locality,” it continues.

However, Abeline McShane says that more needs to be done and this is just a first step in supporting Gypsy/Traveller people in Birmingham.

“It’s disgraceful that Birmingham has no official policy or transit site to support roadside families, unlike neighbouring Walsall Council which has the only working transit site in the West Midlands, so it’s a relief that they are considering negotiated stopping,” said Abeline McShane.

“It’s also disgraceful that the UK’s second biggest city does not have a single permanent public authority Traveller site,” she added.

“Let that sink in: Birmingham does not have a single local authority permanent pitch.”

In comparison – most of the various different London Borough Councils have some local authority Traveller site provision.

The Travellers’ Times approached Birmingham City Council press office for comment. They failed to respond.

TT News

(Top photograph - a child in a caravan on their way to Appleby Fair 2024 (c) Eszter Halasi)

If you want to find out more about negotiated stopping visit: Negotiated Stopping