Surrey County Council issued an interim High Court injunction against unauthorised encampments on Chobham Common.
Following incursions by travellers last year, Mike Goodman, County Councillor for Bagshot, Windlesham and Chobham, has been pushing for Surrey County Council (SCC) to obtain an injunction to prevent 'unknown persons' from trespassing and setting up encampments on the nature reserve.
As a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, and a national nature reserve, it is of vital importance that this natural area is preserved. Encampments, as we have seen on repeated occasions, leave behind mess, both biological and chemical, that is harmful to the common and damages the environment.
The High Court granted an interim injunction to protect the Common forbidding persons unknown occupying Land and/or depositing Waste or Fly-tipping on Land FROM:
- Setting-up an encampment on Chobham Common without written permission from the Local Planning Authority or planning permission granted by a planning inspector;
- Occupying any part of Chobham Common for residential purposes (temporary or otherwise) including with caravans, mobile homes, vehicles and residential paraphernalia without written permission from the Local Planning Authority or planning permission granted by a planning inspector;
- Bringing on Chobham Common any vehicle whether for the purposes of disposal of waste and materials or otherwise, other than when driving through the County of Surrey or in compliance with the Parking Orders regulating the use of car parks or with written permission from the Local Planning Authority or express permission from the owners of the Land;
- Depositing any personal, domestic or commercial waste and/or fly-tipping on Chobham Common.
The Interim Injunction contains a Penal Notice which means anyone breaching it may be held in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have their assets seized.
Further information can be found within the attached document below.
