Legal action to move a group of travellers who have pitched up in Burnham-On-Sea’s seafront car park is set to begin.
A group of caravans, motorhomes and vehicles arrived on Good Friday afternoon (April 2nd) at the southern end of the Pier Street car park running next to Steart Drive, as pictured.
Sedgemoor District Council, which manages the seafront car park, says it plans to begin legal proceedings to move them on.
The car park has seen visits by groups of travellers at this same time of the season in past years. Security has also been boosted at several other locations in the area.
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.
