Council confirms action to be taken over Hemley Hill travellers (From Bucks Free Press)

Council confirms action to be taken over Hemley Hill travellers

3:24pm Monday 17th August 2009 in Search By Andy Carswell

A COUNCIL has today confirmed it will serve enforcement notices against travellers camped near Princes Risborough.

Officers from Wycombe District Council are finalising reports that will enable notices to be served against people living at the development at Hemley Hill without planning consent.

The Council is hoping this will be done “in the near future”.

Enforcement notices can be made when a planning authority considers a breach of planning control to have been made.

They can also specify that remedial action must be taken by the developer to remedy the breach of control by a deadline as specified by the planning authority, which must be no less than 28 days.

Failing to comply with an enforcement notice is a criminal offence.

Travellers living at Hemley Hill recently made a retrospective planning application to build nine caravan pitches.

But the council said it could not grant permission because there was confusion as to who legally owned the site.

Land Registry documents show “former” owners Bob Aldridge and Barry Taylor own the land, which travellers moved onto and began concreting over during the Easter bank holiday.

The council said three “new” owners, Patrick Hanrahan, John Murphy and Michael Murphy, were put forward by their agent – but their signatures were not on the deed of transfer.