STRATFORD District Council will not be following neighbouring Warwick’s lead in a bid to move illegal traveller camps more quickly.
Warwick District Council is investigating the use of an injunction to tackle camps on council owned land. The authority would need to apply for a high court injunction – an order which would automatically allow the council to evict travellers without having to apply for a separate order each time. The move comes after a recent spate of illegal camps in and around Warwick district.
But although Stratford district has experienced similar problems with travellers – who have set up camp at the leisure centre, recreation ground, King Edward’s VI School playing fields, and the park and ride at Bishopton in recent months – the authority has no iStratford mmediate plans to seek a district-wide injunction after its effectiveness had been called into question.
A council spokesman said: “Stratford District Council is aware of the use of injunctions as a tool to prevent illegal encampments.
“Before the courts will grant an injunction, a number of tests need to be met and recent legal challenges have questioned the effectiveness and legitimacy of district-wide injunctions.
“Stratford District Council is keeping this situation under review but has no plans to apply for an injunction at the current time.”
Warwick district housing spokesman Coun Jan Matecki said the authority hoped an injunction would cut or stop illegal camps.
He added: “We are investigating applying for an injunction from the high court banning the setting up of unauthorised encampments on sections of public land in our district, as the process for recovering council owned land is much slower than for land that is privately owned.”
