Work has begun this week on installing a new £15,000 earth bund along Burnham‑On‑Sea’s seafront lawns in a bid to deter travellers from setting up unauthorised encampments.
Burnham‑On‑Sea and Highbridge Town Council agreed earlier this month to fund the project, which will see a raised earth bank created along the grassed area between the Sailing Club and Quantock Court.
Councillors were told the bund will grass over quickly and that flowers will be planted along it to help it blend into the seafront landscape. The proposal received unanimous support.
Several councillors questioned whether the bund formed part of a wider strategy to address traveller incursions in other parts of the town, including car parks. The meeting heard that separate solutions are being explored for those areas.
Some councillors also asked whether large stone boulders would be more suitable, but they were advised that such an option would cost around £100,000, far exceeding the budget available.
The decision follows a rise in unauthorised encampments on the seafront in recent years. Last year saw a notable spike in incidents, and several groups have already used The Esplanade lawns during 2026.
A series of multi‑agency meetings has taken place in recent months involving residents, business owners, Town Councillors, Somerset Council officers, police representatives and MP Ashley Fox. Discussions focused on practical steps to protect public spaces and prevent future encampments.
Somerset Council has offered to provide labour for the project but requested a financial contribution from the Town Council to cover the cost of materials. Town Council officers identified funding through a £5,000 underspend from the recent Priory Gardens bund project, with the remaining £10,000 coming from reserves.
It comes as a group of travellers pitched up at the nearby Burnham B&M car park just off the seafront further north at the weekend.
Ten caravans and towing vehicles arrived there over recent days with owner Somerset Council taking leval steps to move them on. They left on Monday evening (March 30th).
