Traveller and caravan sites

Helping you navigate planning and licensing for caravan and Traveller sites.

Council responsibilities and Traveller rights in unauthorised encampments

The council is responsible for dealing with unauthorised traveller camps on land owned by the Council.

The travelling community may set up an encampment on someone’s land without consent, including highway verges and lay-bys. This is a breach of civil law and, in certain circumstances, may be a breach of criminal law.

Everyone has rights, including the travellers, the local community and the people who own the land where the unauthorised encampment is located.

Travellers who have a particular culture, language or values, are protected from discrimination by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and the Human Rights Act 1998,

The decision to adopt a travelling lifestyle where housing need is met through living within a vehicle either on a long or short-term basis is made by a wide variety of people for a wide variety of reasons. It is therefore important that Travellers are not denied the right to mainstream services that the Council provides.

The council must:

Unauthorised encampments on local authority owned land

The council will initially prove ownership of the land and provide evidence that the Travellers are on the land without consent. Officers will then carry out assessments for the health, welfare and education, and assess the impact of the encampment on its location and local neighbourhood.

This information may be used for the service of notices and summonses to apply for a court order to enable the council to evict the encampment from the site and may make an application to the Magistrates Court for an Eviction Order or to County Court for a Possession Order.

Unauthorised encampments on privately owned land

It is the landowner’s responsibility to take the necessary action to evict the encampment.

The landowner can attempt to agree a leaving date with the travellers or take proceedings in the County Court under the Civil Procedures Rules 1998 to obtain a Court Order for their eviction as trespassers.

If the landowner fails to take action, they may be in breach of Planning legislation and the Caravan Sites Act 1960 unless the landowner has already obtained planning permission for a caravan site.

If there is no planning permission the council may take proceedings against the landowner to require removal of the illegally parked caravans.

There are no Local Authority owned Traveller camp sites in the area.

Licensing caravan parks and campsites

Licenses are legal requirement for all caravan sites. An officer from North East Lincolnshire Council will inspect all caravan sites in the borough twice a year and issue the license when necessary.

If you allow your land to be used as a camping site by the public for more than 42 days consecutively, or 60 days in a year, you require a licence from the local authority. Ple

Please contact the Private Sector Renewal Team for further information on 01472 324765.