Council Gains High Court Injunction Against Traveller Camps

Borough wide ban granted for three months across Hounslow

Travellers on Chiswick Back Common. Picture: @ YoubMhamed

Hounslow Council have obtained a temporary injunction from the High Court which allows them to remove traveller encampments more promptly.

The move follows a spate of incursions in the area including on Chiswick Back Common, the Welstead Road car park and Gunnersbury Park which resulted from displacement from Ealing borough which had already obtained a similar injunction.

The injunction last for three months but it is thought the Council will look to extend it.

Councillor Steve Curran, Leader of Hounslow Council said, “Our parks and public spaces in Hounslow are an important priority for our residents as they provide great benefits to our communities. However, this can be blighted by illegal incursions (encampments); causing damage to our parks and open spaces and disruption and upset to residents and businesses nearby.

“We aim to proactively deal with illegal incursions when they do occur and in the past eighteen months we have dealt with 38 incursions. Illegal incursions use up valuable council resources, diverting us from other priorities and places a heavy burden on our partners, particularly the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) who are also overstretched. Cleari up the fly-tipping and other associated mess from these incursions costs the council and the MPS tens of thousands of pounds a year."

The Order which covers council-owned land will enable the council and the police to take immediate steps to move on or arrest those responsible for illegal incursions.

The Order will soon be displayed across the borough. If you become aware of an illegal encampment in the process of, or having recently been set up in public land, you can contact Hounslow Council on: 0208 583 5555 or dial 101 to report the matter to the police.

June 14, 2019