Agenda item

Report of the Director of Streetscene and Regulatory Services

To consider a petition, bearing 506 signatures, requesting the Council to make it harder for travellers to access the Brookstray. The Petition Organiser, Councillor G Ridley, a Woodlands Ward Councillor, has been invited to attend the meeting for the consideration of this item.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Streetscene and Regulatory Services which responded to a petition bearing 484 signatures which was submitted to Coventry City Council in August 2020. The petition was organised by Councillor Ridley a Woodlands Ward Councillor and requested that the Council improve defences on the Brookstray to prevent unauthorised access onto the site by travellers.

The Cabinet Member had considered the petition prior to this meeting and requested that the petition be dealt with by way of a determination letter rather than a formal report being submitted to a meeting, to be able to deal with the matter more efficiently.

The determination letter and the report stated that in the past 3 months, there had been several incidents of unauthorised access by travellers on a number of sites off the Guphill Brookstray. Furthermore, the Council had received reports of attempts being made by travellers trying to gain access to Eastern Green Recreation Ground.

In response to these incidents and in an attempt to make it more difficult to gain unauthorised access the Council has carried out extensive works to secure sites along the Guphill Brookstray since receipt of the petition at a cost of approximately £13,153. This included the following:

·  Land off Alderminster Road & Land off Nod Rise.

Bollards & gate installed at Dunchurch Highway

Bund created at Shottery Close.

Bollards & gate installed at Nod Rise (bollards on both sides)

Bund created at Nod Rise

Bollards installed at Honeybourne Close

Bollards installed at Pebworth Close

Bollards installed at Cantlow Close

Bollards installed at Aynho Close (two entrances)

Bollards installed at Beausale Croft

Gate & bollards installed at Alderminster Road (bollards on both sides)

Bund created at Alderminster Road

Bollards installed at Hardwick Close

New bunds were installed where practical as this could be achieved at minimal cost by diverting staff from other work.

Bollards were also installed to secure land off Buckingham Rise, which is outside of Woodlands Ward.

·  Bollards and a gate were installed to prevent unauthorised vehicular access to the land off Farcroft Avenue and bollards were also installed at the end of the cul-de-sac in Stonebury Avenue (between 198 and 200 Stonebury Avenue).

·  A new lockbox was welded to existing gate on Church Lane Eastern Green Recreation Ground toprevent unauthorised vehicular access to the Eastern Green Recreation Ground

·  In respect of private land, Officers were still looking into the ownership of the open space at Sutton Avenue and its future security against unauthorised encampments. Unfortunately, the land is not registered, and the owner was proving difficult to identify. As the City Council has maintained the land for over 12 years, a case for adverse possession and ownership was currently being complied.

Officers were also looking into the future management of other privately owned land space alongside the Guphill Brook.

The Flood Risk Team and the Parks Service team were working together on an external funding bid to Severn Trent Water’s community fund (and/or other grants) to improve the Guphill Brookstray. Works being considered included repairs to the unadopted footpath, riverbank stabilisation and providing natural play and other recreational opportunities alongside the stream.

Officers would continue to monitor the defences at the Brookstray and respond to any future incursions as effectively as possible within the resources available. However, it was important to note that unfortunately it was not possible to completely protect open space from determined effort to gain unauthorised access.

Councillor G Ridley, the petition organiser, was present at the meeting, thanked Officers for the comprehensive work undertaken to improve defences on the Brookstray to prevent any unauthorised access.

RESOLVED that, the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities:

1.  Having considered the content of the report, notes the concerns of the petitioners.

2.  Notes the extensive works undertaken to secure sites along the Brookstray.

3.  Notes that the cost of undertaking the defence works have been estimated at approximately £13,153.

4.  Endorses and supports Officers to continue to maintain and implement defences on public open space subject to traveller incursions within existing resources.

5.  Notes that Council Officers will continue to investigate how the unregistered land at Sutton Avenue could be better secured.