A Birmingham park Easter holiday encampment drew widespread public anger this week after a group of Travellers moved their caravans and heavy vehicles into Sheldon Country Park, parking directly next to a newly developed playground popular with local families.
Around five caravans initially arrived at the main car park at Sheldon Country Park on Sunday, March 30, 2026, with additional vehicles joining the encampment in the days that followed as the Easter bank holiday approached. Birmingham City Council confirmed it served a formal notice on the group ordering them to vacate, and announced it had already begun eviction proceedings to reclaim the public land.
Travellers Arrive at Sheldon Country Park: What Happened
The group arrived in the early hours of Sunday, March 30, 2026, setting up caravans and trucks in the car park beside a brand-new playground within Sheldon Country Park’s expansive 300-acre grounds. Volunteers from the park confirmed the encampment through a Facebook post on Sunday evening, alerting local residents before the story gained wider media coverage. Reports suggest the site has seen unauthorised encampments at least four times in the past year, making this encampment a recurring issue for both the council and the community rather than an isolated incident.
Photographs circulated by local residents and media outlets show the sizeable caravans occupying the car park space immediately adjacent to the children’s play area. Parents and families headed to the park ahead of Easter expressed frustration that the encampment reduced accessible parking and created what several described as an “intimidating” environment near the playground during one of the busiest family park periods of the year.
Section 77 Notice Served: Legal Action Begins
Birmingham City Council acted swiftly after the encampment appeared. Liberal Democrat Councillor Paul Tilsley, representing the Sheldon ward, confirmed the council served a Section 77 notice on the group a legal mechanism under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 that requires occupants to leave local authority land within a specified period. Eviction proceedings began formally before the Easter weekend, though the precise timeline for physical removal was not publicly disclosed at the time of publication.
Reports suggest the authorities deliberately managed the situation to avoid escalation. Local sources noted that such enforcement actions “can go one of two ways, but we kept it calm,” adding that costs can spiral when encampments extend beyond initial notices. Birmingham City Council confirmed it would keep Sheldon Country Park open to the public throughout the Easter holidays however, the park’s toilet facilities would remain closed during the period.
Councillor’s Anger: A Pattern of Repeat Encampments
Councillor Paul Tilsley did not mince words in his assessment of the situation. He told the Daily Mail that the park has been “invaded” multiple times over the past year by groups living there “without paying” and engaging in anti-social behaviour, leaving litter and waste behind for the council to clean up at taxpayers’ expense. Tilsley stated the problem is a “constant issue” of Travellers moving from one park to another with their caravans, placing a repeated burden on council resources and public green spaces.
The pattern at Sheldon mirrors a wider problem across Birmingham. In 2025, Swanshurst Park on the borders of Moseley and Billesley experienced its own repeated unauthorised encampments, with dozens of caravans occupying playing fields. A Midlands MP also raised formal complaints in August 2025 about encampments at Cofton Park near the Worcestershire border, writing to Birmingham Council’s chief executive with demands for swift eviction and a preventive injunction.
Birmingham City Council’s Response: Commitments and Constraints
Birmingham City Council issued a formal statement acknowledging the problem and reiterating its commitment to protecting public green spaces:
“It is important that we protect our parks and we are using targeted measures to do this. We are committed to actively protecting all our land, including parks, and will take steps to recover land where unauthorised encampments encroach upon it. To this end, eviction proceedings have already begun.”
The council has previously secured court injunctions against named individuals and groups connected to past unauthorised encampments across multiple Birmingham parks — including Daisy Farm Park, Swanshurst Park, Billesley Common and others listed in city council injunction records. However, critics argue these measures provide insufficient deterrence given the frequency of new encampments at locations across the city.
Legal Framework: What Powers Councils Hold
Under current legislation, the framework governing unauthorised encampments gives councils several tools for enforcement:
| Legal Power | Mechanism |
| Section 77 Notice (CJPoA 1994) | Directs occupants to leave local authority land within a set period |
| Section 78 Direction | Allows magistrates to back a direction to leave after a Section 77 notice |
| Civil Injunction | Court order preventing named individuals from returning to specific sites |
| Planning Enforcement | Action against breach of planning controls for extended stays beyond two nights |
| Land Recovery Proceedings | Civil court action to physically reclaim unauthorised land use |
Under regulations, Travellers require a licence for caravan parking beyond two nights and must obtain planning permission for any extended stay on land they do not own. Those who occupy land without authorisation face the risk of eviction through one or more of the above mechanisms.
Residents’ Frustration: Access Blocked During Peak Holiday Period
The timing of the encampment arriving precisely as Easter school holidays began amplified local discontent. Families planning Easter outings to Sheldon Country Park’s playground and open green spaces found the main car park partially blocked by caravans and associated vehicles.
Local residents voiced their frustration across social media platforms and to media outlets, criticising both the encampment itself and what many described as the council’s inability to create lasting deterrents to prevent repeat occupations.
Not publicly disclosed at this stage is whether the council plans to install physical barriers such as concrete blocks, security bollards or reinforced fencing at the Sheldon Country Park car park to prevent future vehicle access to the affected area, a measure that several other local authorities across England have adopted to reduce repeat encampments at popular parks.
Sheldon Country Park: Location and Significance
Sheldon Country Park covers approximately 300 acres of green space in the Sheldon area of east Birmingham, located close to Birmingham Airport. The park serves as one of the largest public green spaces in the city, drawing families from across east Birmingham for outdoor recreation, particularly during school holidays.
The playground targeted by the encampment was newly developed, making the occupation of the adjacent car park particularly sensitive for families who had anticipated using the new facilities during Easter.
Not publicly disclosed is the exact construction cost of the new playground or when it opened however, reports suggest the facility only recently became accessible to the public before the Easter 2026 encampment occurred directly alongside it.
