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Travellers have set up camp on a controversial playing field, allegedly damaging gates and locks at nearby Cotham School in order to gain access. The group of caravans was first seen at Stoke Lodge on Saturday, with at least ten vehicles spotted on the site.
School leadership issued a statement the same day, claiming that an “organised group” had “forced entry through the Adult Education Centre entrance” while “forcibly damaging and breaking through the locks on the vehicle access gate near the playground”.
They added: “The school is now taking steps to resolve this matter as quickly as possible. The school will appreciate the support of those members of the public who will also report this matter to the police on our behalf.”
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Stoke Lodge Playing Field has been the focus of ongoing controversy over public access since 2000, when owners Bristol Council granted expanding Cotham School the right to use the field for sports and games.
Local residents applied in 2011 to have the site designated a town or village green (TVG), a move blocked by the council. The school then signed a 125-year lease with the local authority, which was followed by years of legal wrangling all the way up to the High Court.
The school abandoned its use of Stoke Lodge in 2014, citing security concerns. But tensions heightened again when, in 2018, the school was approved to erect fences and gates around the popular walking and recreation area.
But these barriers left around one-fifth of the green space open to the public, while the school promised to allow access by locals to fenced off areas when the playing fields were not in use by the school or sports groups – on the condition that no dogs were permitted.
The fences were completed in 2019, which the school defended as “steps that it deems necessary to protect the health and safety of students and staff”. This included the risk of travellers setting up camp on the site – something the barriers seem not to have stopped.
Campaigners for public access to the green space include Twitter accounts @WlStoke_Lodge and @J4_not, while @CothamSchool and @Justice4Cotham both support the school’s goal of securing it against unauthorised access.
@J4_not tweeted on Saturday: “So please, Cotham, remind us all what the point of your fence is cos it doesn’t seem like it’s fit4purpose.”
Trespassers were still present on Wednesday, when leadership confirmed that they were “following due process in consultation with the school’s legal team and Avon and Somerset Police to resolve the trespass situation at the school’s playing fields at Stoke Lodge”.
@Therealmcgyver tweeted on Wednesday morning that “the travellers need to be moved and the field needs to be re secured”, while @Sti11W tweeted that there were “children driving cars” alongside a photo of a silver car on the playing field.
Cotham School leaders have left gates to the playing area unlocked since Saturday in an effort to prevent further damage to barriers, advising anyone who chooses to enter the site that they “do so at their own risk”.
Bristol Live approached both Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol Council for details of what steps were being taken to remove trespassers from the site.
The local authority replied: “We are aware of the unauthorised encampment that arrived on Cotham School playing fields over the weekend.
“Members of our Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) Team have attempted to visit the group but were unable to get access to the land to carry out a welfare assessment.
“The GRT Team will continue to try to contact the group and will be offering the use of our council-owned transit site for them to move onto. Our health visitor will also be attending the site to provide support if needed.”
A police spokesperson had not responded at the time of publication. Asked to comment further on damage caused to school property, Cotham School declined to comment further.
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