A 10ft wooden fence has been erected around a protected green belt field as a row with Travellers erupts in the quiet village of Irby, Wirral. Three Traveller families bought the 0.9-acre plot in Townshend Avenue in August before moving on to the land over the bank holiday weekend.
Within 24 hours, the fence had been put up and heavy machinery was used on the site, with locals claiming the green belt field had been ripped up. A temporary stop notice has since been imposed after works were carried out without planning permission.
Police escort static caravan to site
Tensions have risen further after police escorted a large static caravan on to the site. Footage filmed by a local shows the white caravan being transported on a trailer, with police vehicles guiding it through the area. It has since been positioned at the back of the plot, with aerial footage showing a section of AstroTurf in front of it.
The caravan has joined three others, along with two diggers, two cars and a van, behind the newly erected fence.
Residents describe intimidation
One resident said the police appeared to be treating the Travellers as their “customers” while helping the caravan reach the site. He told The Sun: “What happened on Sunday was really strange. I went down to see what was going on.
“These police, traffic cops, had escorted [the static home] into the street. But there was a car parked in the way.
“The police attitude was that the travellers were their customer – and that someone needed to move it.”
The resident said an officer told him: “That car needs to be removed – if that’s not removed, it’s going to get towed away.” Police officers were also alleged to have asked residents to “knock on doors” to find out who owned the car.
A “feisty” conversation between residents and Travellers later followed, according to another homeowner. One of the landowners was alleged to have told residents: “We’re here now, get used to it, we mean you no harm.” Another resident described the situation as “really intimidating”.
She said: “Our mental health is diminishing; our rational thoughts are diminishing. Everyone I’ve spoken to is distressed.
“I understand the council are doing investigations, but they need to put comms out and let us know.”
Stop notice and council response
The temporary stop notice applies to the engineering works rather than the caravans themselves. However, static homes and park homes require planning permission to be used as permanent residences.
The notice is intended to protect the natural environment, allow the impact of the development to be assessed and prevent uncontrolled development from potentially causing environmental harm. It expires on October 22.
Labour councillor Mark Skillicorn, who represents the Greasby, Frankby and Irby ward and sits on the housing committee, confirmed police had been notified. Cllr Skillicorn said he recognised residents wanted “swift action” and was pushing for the council’s enforcement options to be escalated “as a matter of urgency”.
Local Conservative campaigner David Fairbairn, 67, said he was “outraged” by the works.
Merseyside Police said officers had escorted the vehicle because of its size and weight. A spokesperson said: “We were informed that a large vehicle was due to travel from an address in Liverpool to Irby on Sunday 13 September.
“As a police force, we are duty-bound to escort vehicles that could pose a safety risk to other motorists due to their size or weight.
“We therefore fulfilled this role to ensure road safety at all times.” The force added that a dedicated neighbourhood team would continue to provide “support and reassurance” to the community.
