Dudley traveller site branded a ‘huge’ waste of cash

Dudley’s temporary traveller site has been branded a ‘huge waste of cash’ which is usually empty and locked up.

The site, on Budden Road in Coseley, has seen just 16 of its 40 pitches occupied in the last five years.

Details obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show between 1 April 2021 and 24 August 2026, less than half the available pitches have been used on the temporary site.

Each pitch costs £105 per week to rent.

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The site opened temporarily in 2018 before gaining approval to be made permanent in 2022 at a cost of around £300,000.

Coseley councillor Peter Drake, who opposed putting traveller pitches on the former landfill site, said: “Despite all sense and planning policy they gave it permission, most of the year it’s empty yet initially it cost a hell of a lot of money.

“It is vast, that means higher running costs, higher initial costs and it’s never fully booked, it is a huge waste of money.” 

Councillor Ian Bevan, Dudley cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said: “It is wrong to suggest the Budden Road site has failed.

“The site gives people travelling through Dudley, who wish to remain for a short period, an authorised place to stay, while also giving the council and its partners a much more effective way of managing unauthorised encampments.”

Between April 2021 and August 2026 Dudley Council was involved in action to remove 29 unauthorised encampments on public and private land within the borough.

Cllr Drake says that can also cause problems with ‘mad spurts’ of caravans arriving at short notice with no one to open the gates.

He said: “Recently when they had the fires in Stourbridge there were loads of caravans queuing to get on because all the staff were in Stourbridge.

“Nobody could let them in so they were just at the roadside for at least a weekend causing chaos.

“It was mad when they told us it’s meant to be for travellers in the local area but you had people in Scotland booking over the phone to use the site.

“I told officers ‘so it’s just a caravan site then, for holidays’; I think they would rather go to Cornwall or Devon for camping rather than Budden Road.” 

Dudley Council argues providing pitches that are not used shows Budden Road is, in reality, doing its job.

Cllr Bevan added: “Before Budden Road was established, moving an unauthorised encampment could take days and involve significant court and bailiff costs.

“Having an authorised site means, where necessary, action can now be taken much more quickly, with people either choosing to use the authorised site, which some do, or moving on from the borough. 

“Being able to take this swift action has a deterrent effect, making the borough a less attractive place for encampments.

“The site’s success, therefore, cannot simply be measured by the number of pitches occupied.

“It is also about reducing any disruption, shortening the time unauthorised encampments remain in place, providing a lawful option for those who need it, and avoiding the court, enforcement and potentially substantial clean-up costs that previously fell on Dudley taxpayers.”