Council wins court injunction against travellers

A High Court injunction has been granted after travellers moved on to land within a conservation area and moved caravans on to it, a council said.

Buckinghamshire Council sought the court order to prevent further vehicles arriving at the field in Dinton, which it deemed "unauthorised development" of the land.

The authority said it became aware of the work when villagers reported seeing lorries and diggers moving earth to create a hardstanding on 28 February.

A man who identified himself as the landowner, but declined to be named, previously told the BBC he and his associates were gypsies and travellers who had nowhere else to go, and he had applied for planning permission late on 27 Friday.

The authority said on Monday it had issued a temporary stop notice stating that no further materials and additional caravans could be brought or moved on to the site.

It said that had been breached when a mobile home was brought on to the site later that day.

The land, south of Upton Road in the village, near Aylesbury, was sold last year by Michael Cook, who said he did so knowing it could not be developed due to a covenant and could only be used for agriculture.

He said he had sold roughly half of a larger field. That land was subsequently split into smaller plots and sold again at auction.

The BBC has been unable to verify which plots of land the man owns.

On Tuesday, firefighters put out a blaze after a mobile home burnt down overnight.

Peter Strachan, the council's Conservative deputy leader and cabinet member for planning, said: "We know that this has been a worrying issue for the local community which is why we took immediate action.

"As with any legal matter, we must follow the correct procedures to ensure our actions taken are fully compliant with the law."

He said breaches were taken seriously and he hoped it "sends a clear message to everyone that it is important to abide by rules and regulations".

He added that the situation would be monitored closely.

Under the terms of the injunction, the council said no-one was allowed to:

• Live on the site
• Carry out any further works, including laying hardstandings, clearing ground or putting up fencing
• Bring any more caravans, mobile homes, structures or materials on to the land
• Encourage or help anyone else to move on to the site
• Deposit waste or other materials
• Create new tracks or roadways
• Install any utilities or services such as water, electricity or sewers
• Divide the land into plots or make any further alterations
• Bring additional vehicles or machinery on to the site

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