Conservative Fareham Council leader Sean Woodward today (August 9) said new government guidelines for dealing with traveller encampments did not go far enough.
Travellers told to move on from a car park in Titchfield in 2012
Cllr Woodward said that while the new government guidelines were welcome he wanted to see trespassing made illegal – meaning traveller camps could be dealt with in criminal court proceedings rather than in civil.
The new guidance allows local councils and landowners to use more powerful temporary stop notices to stop and remove unauthorised caravans from land that has not been granted planning permission.
Pre-emptive injunctions that protect vulnerable land in advance from unauthorised encampments and possession orders to remove trespassers from land are also part of the guidance.
Cllr Woodward said: “I welcome the improvements to the temporary stop notice process but I would welcome it more if the government said what it would do in our manifesto – the Conservative party manifesto – to make trespassing a criminal offence.
“The temporary stop notice is a breach of planning control and the council can, within hours, issue a temporary stop notice which means the thing that needs planning consent is stopped and a £20,000 fine can be issued if it is breached.
“I will be trying to make sure that trespassing is made illegal in the Conservative manifesto in the next general election in two years time.”
In 2011 and 2012 travellers turned up to Titchfield and Fareham on numerous occasions. Cllr Woodward said he was satisfied there had been few incidents in the past year of illegal travellers parking in the borough.
Police swiftly removed a small group of travellers from Meadowside Recreation Ground in Whiteley on Wednesday (August 7) after they sawed down a bollard to gain entry. The criminal offence meant police were able to intervene and the travellers moved on.
“Police can use section 61 powers if there’s evidence of criminal damage or it’s having some major affect on an event at a recreational ground,” said Cllr Woodward.
“I’m sure if there had been more of them it would have taken longer to deal with. It was fortunate they broke in so the police could use the section 61 powers.”
Sean Woodward
“It is known in the travelling community that Fareham has a zero tolerance on invasion on public land. So they may rather go somewhere else.”
There has been one other incident in July this year of travellers at Newgate Lane who moved onto Stubbington Recreation Ground before being removed by police.
Gypsy and travelling community campaigners across the UK have called for more legal sites to be introduced. In the borough there is a site at Tynefield Farm in Whiteley, which Cllr Woodward said had become overcrowded.
As a result Fareham Council consulted about a planned policy on travellers’ sites proposing five additional pitches across two existing sites – The Retreat in Newgate Lane and land near 302A Southampton Road in Titchfield.
The consultation closed on July 22 and results are being collated to be presented to a working group at the council in September.
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles said all councils should be ready to take action to stop illegal camps and unauthorised sites. He added: “We’ve strengthened councils’ powers so they have the confidence to take decisive action. Too often council officers wash their hands and say nothing can be done. This is not the case.
“The public want to see fair play with planning rules enforced consistently rather than special treatment being given to certain groups.”