North Warwickshire & Bedworth’s MP has highlighted the issues our local community faces from illegal traveller encampments and trespass. Speaking in a debate in Parliament Craig Tracey warned that illegal encampments across Warwickshire was becoming a more frequent occurrence forcing closures, causing damage and significant waste issues.
The local MP illustrated a local example of illegal encampments stating:
“In just three months in the summer of 2016, Nuneaton and Bedworth Council spent over £22,000 on bailiff fees, officer time, court costs, legal action and cleaning up, and just over £5,000 of this went on clearing up three sites after the travellers had moved on.”
Craig Tracey commented:
“It must be infuriating for a landowner, local school or club whose property has been broken into to not have an immediate course of justice available. We have seen locally, that as illegal trespass is a Civil offence, it can take days for traveller encampments to be moved on. I know this is an issue which causes great concern to many people in North Warwickshire and Bedworth.
“These time delays can render the process essentially unfit for purpose. Therefore reducing the time taken for eviction notices, or shifting the burden of proof from the landowner to the occupying encampment, could prove to be possible solutions. Clearly more protection is needed for property owners and I welcome the Government’s commitment this week to reviewing the law in this area.”