Newark and Sherwood District Council grant extension of injunction notice for unlawfully developed Traveller site in Weston

An injunction preventing further works at an unlawful Traveller site has been extended for more than a year.

Newark and Sherwood District Council attended court yesterday (May 7) to seek an extension to the injunction previously obtained on land at Weston.

The land had, over the Easter bank holiday weekend, been transformed into a 40-pitch caravan site with tarmacadam roads built and hedges removed.

Residents of the nearby village of Egmanton described bulldozers and excavators being used on the agricultural field, off Weston Road.

No planning permission had been granted for the works prior to the works taking place, and residents also reported disruption and threatening behaviour from those on the site.

An invalid planning application with missing information had been submitted on April 17, the day before the council became aware of the unauthorised works.

The injunction, which prevents any further building works or additional caravans or mobile homes being brought onto the site, was initially secured by the council on April 25.

The case for the extension had to be heard in court to give the occupiers of the site a right to reply, and at court they argued that the council was too harsh with it’s initial injunction.

However, the judge felt otherwise and ruled in the council’s favour, extending the injunction until December 2026.

The terms within the injunction mean that there is a maximum cap of 42 caravans and motor homes on the site.

A list of all the people living on the site must also be provided to the courts within two weeks to give both the council and the court clarity on who is living on the site — to ensure that no one else moves into the 42 caravans and motor homes.

The injunction does not require the removal of the site, but it does restrict any further works until such time as the enforcement appeal is decided.

40 enforcement notices were served on the site on April 24, requiring the the occupiers to “cease the use of the land as a caravan site and remove all caravans and mobile homes from the land” and would have come into effect from May 29, if an appeal had not been submitted.

An appeal was submitted shortly afterwards, and is now in the hands of the planning inspectorate.

The council stated the appeal could take some time, but it will continue to prepare its defence for this and will keep residents informed.

It added: “This remains an incredibly challenging situation, and it is completely understandable that residents, like us too, are frustrated and concerned with what has happened. We will continue to monitor the site given that breaching an injunction is a very serious matter.”

Any alleged breach of the injunction at the site in Weston should be reported to the police.

Breaches of injunction orders can result in imprisonment, a fine, or seizure of assets.