A court order has been served on a large group of travellers set up on Burnham-On-Sea’s seafront lawns.
The group of over 15 vehicles arrived on the seafront lawns on the south Esplanade on 13th July, and the order to move was issued by the court on Friday afternoon (July 25th).
It comes after Burnham-On-Sea’s MP, Ashley Fox, issued a strongly worded statement earlier this week expressing concern about the delays in moving the an unauthorised traveller encampment in the town.
A separate group of around 10 caravans and vehicles pitched up on the green at Priory Gardens on Tuesday afternoon (July 22nd) and legal steps are underway to move them as well.
The MP said: “People in Burnham are rightly frustrated. These incidents keep happening and too often, the response from the Council is far too slow. Our local traders rely on the summer season to make a living, and they deserve better than this.”
Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Communities, Housing Revenue Account, Culture and Equalities, Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts said: “Our team, in collaboration with the police, acts at the earliest opportunity when an unauthorised encampment is reported and treats the matter with urgency to ensure the legal process is set in motion. However this is a nationally established procedure with the legal system at the centre, and just like any other local authority the Council has to work within the time frame prescribed by legislation and scheduling of the Courts.”
“After liaising with Police, the Council officer in charge of the operation issued a Formal Notice to Leave (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 section. 77) on 15 July, at the earliest opportunity after relevant forms are completed.”
“The Council then listed its application to the Magistrates Court – the earliest date available for a hearing was 25 July. If the Council is successful, the Court will issue an Order to be served on the encampment. For any non-compliance with the Order, the Council will be required to engage with bailiffs to initiate eviction proceedings, this can add further delays before control of the land is again obtained.”
“We share people’s frustration regarding the process and we would be happy to liaise with the MP to lobby Government to work with the legal system on measures to allow these situations to be dealt with more quickly.”
