Councils and police are not being seen to be doing enough to stop unauthorised traveller encampments, according to Coalition ministers.
Policing minister Mike Penning and Department of Local Government minister Brandon Lewis wrote a joint letter to council leaders, police and crime commissioners and police chief constables. They said: “It is vital that communities see that the law applies to everyone and they should be confident that local agencies are able to deal effectively with issues such as unauthorised encampments that can cause local concern. We are clear that the response to unauthorised encampments requires a locally driven, multi-agency response, supported by local authorities and the police. There are sufficient powers for local authorities and the police to take action; and ministers have already reminded local councils of the need to act swiftly to stop unauthorised encampments starting in the first place.”
They added that they have reissued a August 2013 summary of ‘the robust powers councils and landowners have to remove unauthorised traveller sites, protest camps and squatters from both public and private land, as well as tackling the waste from such sites’.
For the letter visit gov.uk; and for that summary of powers visit – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dealing-with-illegal-and-unauthorised-encampments
The 14-page guidance includes suggesting that the authorities work with landowners to physically secure vulnerable sites ‘where possible’; preparing any necessary paperwork, such as applications for possession orders or injunctions, in advance; and telling private landowners of their powers in relation to unauthorised encampments.
The document goes into the various orders and notices that a council can apply for;’ and police powers; and what to do about such related matters as squatting, and fly-tipping and litter after a site occupation.
