UNAUTHORISED ENCAMPMENTS
News: 22 May 2025 - there is currently an unauthorised encampment in Broomfield Park. Enfield Council are aware and are responding to the issues. At present the Palmers Green Community Cafe is closed to maintain a duty of care to volunteers and the vulnerable adults and young people who provide the cafe services.
INFORMATION ABOUT UNAUTHORISED ENCAMPMENTS
Introduction
In recent years there have been a few occurrences of Travellers / Roma / Gypsy people creating an unauthorised encampment in Broomfield Park. This has caused disturbance and distress to park users and considerable comment on Social Media.
Whenever we do get new neighbours, The Friends of Broomfield Park are invariably asked how people can report issues and what the Council are doing to move the encampment on. We are a volunteer led charity and are unable to take action ourselves. The London Borough of Enfield - as owner of the land -is responsible for managing the situation. Whilst the Council’s efforts to defend the park have helped matters in the past we have still been visited on a fairly regular basis.
Hopefully this page will provide some answers to questions about unauthorised encampments.
The Travelling Community
None of us want to see the park misused or damaged by visitors, invited or otherwise. By the same token, we recognise that the rights of the travelling community need to be balanced with the rights of other residents to enjoy open spaces.
All Gypsies and Travellers are protected from discrimination by the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998. Gypsies and Romany gypsies have been part of our communities for hundreds of years, with Irish travellers having been here in the UK for over 150 years. Like other minority groups, they have their own language, traditions and customs that guide their way of life, and which have passed down through generations.
What Can The Council Do?
When the Council receives a report of an unauthorised encampment they have certain steps that they are required to take by Law.They will normally look to serve an eviction notice at the earliest opportunity. Enfield Council has a dedicated Gypsy, Roma, Traveller website page setting out the local context.
However this does not include specific details on how the Council responds to unauthorised encampments, but this link will display the details posted by Luton District Council and the powers are going to be very similar. The Luton website also has an excellent FAQ which deals with most of the questions that are raised by residents.
What Can I Do?
You can report an unauthorised encampment by contacting Enfield Council on 020 8379 1000 (Mon-Fri 9:00 - 17:00) or outside of office hours call 020 8379 1000. If you are witness to criminal damage then the police should be informed on 101. Note that the police will not be able to act on any reports unless there is good, solid evidence such as videos or photographs of the damage occurring.
Reporting Concerns
The buttons below will also allow you to report an incursion into the park – or, indeed, anywhere else. There are also separate reporting options for anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and animals. They all link to pages on the Council’s website you may have to set-up a (free) online account to make a report.
