WATCH: Waverley Councillor Jane Austin discusses illegal encampments in her constituency
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Travellers in Nottingham have sparked outrage among locals after leaving their illegal campsite.
The site, located off the A1 near Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, has been left in disarray after the community were ordered to leave by the council.
Travellers set up the site over the Good Friday bank holiday in 2025, working overnight to build roads, remove hedges, create entrances and put up fences on the land.
According to Newark and Sherwood District Council, the travellers also set up electricity and water supplies to create 40 pitches on the site.
The council then served a planning enforcement notice and continued to pursue legal action.
Following a hearing at Nottingham County Court, the occupiers were issued a final injunction order, meaning the land must stop operating as a caravan site and be returned to its original condition by January 15, 2027.
Delivering the ruling on Monday, His Honour Judge Owen said the works had been carried out over a bank holiday to ensure they were completed “with a degree of secrecy”.
He described the operation as “pre-planned and well-orchestrated”.
The council has been awarded £30,000 for legal costs, for which all defendants are liable both jointly and separately.
Chair of the council’s planning committee, Councillor Andy Freeman, said in a statement: “This is an excellent result for everyone in the district who expects planning rules to be applied fairly and consistently.
“It sends a clear message that we will take appropriate enforcement action wherever breaches occur, whether they are large or small.
“I would also like to thank the officers whose tireless work over many months helped secure this result. Reports from residents help us identify and investigate potential breaches.”
Mr Freeman continued: “I encourage anyone who believes development may be taking place without the necessary permission to report it to the council so our planning enforcement team can consider the matter.
“This hasn’t been an easy journey, but we have been absolutely committed to this case and ensuring planning rules are observed.”
However, the illegal site has reportedly been left a mess.
The site is littered with rubbish, with just a handful of caravans remaining on the plots.
The former 40-plot site also features black patches from gravel and tarmac used to create a makeshift road through the site and hard-standing pitches.
Ina statement, a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “The Government is cracking down on illegal traveller sites and it is completely misleading to suggest otherwise.
“Our new planning rules explicitly tackle any potential environmental damage and transport impacts.
“They make it harder for people to get retrospective permission for developments that were built without approval.”
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