Council seeks injunction to prevent further works on unauthorised travellers encampment in Tilsworth

Officers from Central Bedfordshire Council have been working on appropriate enforcement and legal action “as a priority” since the unauthorised encampment appeared at the Bedford Road site on the outskirts of Tilsworth.

This area of land is next door to a legally occupied location for travellers in the village. A planning application has been submitted for the new plot of land, but is currently invalid because further information is required from the applicant, according to Central Bedfordshire Council.

Officers visited the site on Wednesday (17th June) and Thursday (18th June), during which “there was no evidence of further construction work”.

A CBC spokesman said in a statement: “We understand the concern this matter has caused for residents in Tilsworth, and we recognise people want clear information about what action the council has taken.

“Officers have responded quickly and treated this as a priority. The council was notified that works began on the land during the evening of Friday 12th June. Our officers worked late to arrange a site visit on the next working day to establish the facts and gather the evidence needed to take formal action.

“A temporary stop notice was served late on Tuesday (16th June) under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, requiring all further construction work to cease. The site has been monitored closely since then, with officers confirming construction work has stopped and plant machinery is being removed.

“We’ve received and responded to a significant number of enquiries from residents. Officers are continuing to prioritise the enforcement and legal work on this case, and we’ll provide further updates when there’s a material change.

“The council is also seeking an injunction to prevent further construction, while the planning application is considered.”

Once the application has been made valid, people can comment on it via CBC’s website planning portal.

Before the works began, the council received reports that the land might be developed. But no breach of planning control had occurred at that stage and CBC had no legal basis to take pre-emptive enforcement action.

The council must follow the correct legal process and ensure any formal action is supported by evidence. If planning permission is refused, CBC would review the full circumstances of the case before deciding what further enforcement action may be appropriate, the local authority added.

CBC currently lacks “a five-year supply of deliverable gipsy and traveller pitches, and this will be a consideration when the planning application is determined”.

But the availability of pitches “is only one relevant planning consideration and doesn’t on its own determine the outcome of an individual case”.

The council was responding to accusations on social media by Conservative Heath and Reach councillor Mark Versallion, who posted on Facebook: “I continue to ask for action and updates, but responses are inadequate and the residents I represent are rightly disappointed in CBC.

“I learnt more about what the council is doing (or not doing) by visiting the site and talking directly to the traveller who owns the land. Whether enforcement is successful or not, there’s the other issue of the failure of CBC to provide a ‘five-year land supply’ for travellers.

“This then leaves site locations to chance when fields appear for auction. That makes this situation worse for everyone, including the travellers and the settled community.”