A new group of travellers comprising of three caravans has pitched up on the Bank Street Car Park in Highbridge.
This is a different group than the travellers who were at Pier Street in Burnham-On-Sea last week.
In conjunction with the Police, Sedgemoor’s Legal team served notice on the group on Monday morning, giving them 24 hours to move on, as well as carrying out the statutory checks required by law at the same time.
The council told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “They are causing no problems and appear to be keeping the car park clean and tidy.”
“If they are still present on Tuesday then legal proceedings will be issued.”
The travellers group who were occupying Pier Street car park in Burnham-On-Sea left over the weekend, leaving little rubbish.
. Council’s steps to get the travellers moved:
This is the process that the district council follows once there is an unauthorised incursion on to Sedgemoor District Council owned land:
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.
We reported earlier this month that Sedgemoor District Council revealed that tax payers have footed a bill of £5,400 during the last two years to get travellers moved using the legal process.
Burnham’s MP James Heappey is working on a change to the law to prevent travellers illegally trespassing on land, as we reported here.
