A local councillor has criticised Somerset Council’s handling of unauthorised traveller encampments in Burnham-On-Sea, following a series of incidents that have disrupted residents and businesses.
John Cook-Woodman, Conservative Councillor for Highbridge & Burnham-On-Sea South, has raised the issue at an Executive Council meeting after a group of travellers was moved from Burnham’s seafront — only to resettle just 600 metres away in the B&M car park in Pier Street, as we reported here.
Cllr Cook-Woodman says: “In Burnham-On-Sea, we have seen repeated unauthorised encampments, causing disruption to residents and to local traders, with concerns also raised about this Council’s response.”
Encampments have recently appeared on the South Esplanade, Priory Gardens, and now Pier Street, prompting calls for a more robust enforcement strategy.
Cllr Cook-Woodman has urged the Council to consider adopting measures similar to those used by Torbay Council, which contracts external enforcement teams to remove encampments swiftly — sometimes within six days.
Responding to the concerns, Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts explained that Somerset Council follows the same legal procedures as other authorities but manages enforcement internally, rather than outsourcing parts of the process as Torbay does.
She encouraged residents to report encampments promptly and pointed to the Council’s online guidance outlining the legal steps involved.
She also confirmed that a task force has been asked to begin identifying a suitable transit site in Somerset and invited landowners or communities to suggest potential locations.
Additionally, the Council is reviewing physical protections for vulnerable sites to prevent future encampments while maintaining public access.
After the meeting, Cllr Cook-Woodman added: “The current system clearly isn’t working. These encampments keep happening, yet the Council’s response feels slow and ineffective. Residents are rightly frustrated, and businesses are being impacted during one of the busiest times of the year.”
A group of travellers left Burnham’s Pier Street car park after a three-day stay in June and a separate group left the green off Burnham’s Hawley Way last month. A further group was in Priory Gardens in July.
