Legal action has been stepped up against a small group of travellers who have been camped on grassland next to Apex Park in Highbridge for over ten days.
Sedgemoor District Council spokeswoman Claire Faun told Burnham-On-Sea.com that the council got the legal papers on Monday, “requiring them to leave forthwith.”
The group of travellers with four vehicles, pictured here, pitched up near to the park entrance off Marine Drive during the last week of June and have been in place ever since.
The vans and caravans, partly hidden behind trees, were still in place late on Monday evening (July 8th).
Council’s legal steps to move travellers:
This is the process that the district council follows once there is an unauthorised incursion on to Sedgemoor District Council owned land in Burnham and Highbridge area:
- The travellers are issued with a letter advising that they are occupying council land without consent and are usually required to vacate within 24 hours.
- If they do not vacate an application is made to the County Court for a Possession Order and the notice of hearing is then served on the travellers.
- Under court rules, travellers must be given two clear days of notice of the hearing, not including the day that the notice was served, the day of the hearing and not including week-ends or bank holidays; which is why it usually takes at least a week to move them on.
- If they do not vacate, the Council attends the court hearing and seeks an Order for Possession Forthwith. This is then usually served on the travellers the same day with the instruction that they vacate within 24 hours.
- If they still do not vacate, the Police and Bailiffs are called in to assist with the removal.
