Council secures injunction against conservation area development

Buckinghamshire Council has obtained an urgent High Court injunction to stop unlawful development on protected land after its initial enforcement attempts were ignored.

The case concerns land at Upton Road in Dinton, which falls within a conservation area. Over the weekend, council officers became aware that hardstanding was being laid on the site and that three caravans had already been brought onto it.

On Monday, the council served a Temporary Stop Notice requiring an immediate halt to the works. The notice explicitly prohibited any further materials being brought to the site and banned the arrival of additional caravans.

But within hours of the notice being issued, the order was breached when a mobile home was moved onto the land.

Faced with continued unauthorised activity, the council applied to the High Court for an injunction to enforce compliance. The application was successful, granting the authority powers to prevent further breaches and protect the character of the conservation area.

Peter Strachan, Buckinghamshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning, said:

‘We know that this has been a worrying issue for the local community which is why we took immediate action as soon as we were able to. As with any legal matter, we must follow the correct procedures to ensure our actions taken are fully compliant with the law.

‘We take these breaches very seriously and I hope this action sends a clear message to everyone that it is important to abide by rules and regulations. Where you do not, the Council will use all available levers to remedy breaches.

‘We will continue to monitor the situation at Upton Road closely and consider any further action as necessary.’

Under the terms of the injunction and with immediate effect it is prohibited for anyone to:

• Live on the site.
• Carry out any further works, including laying hardstanding, clearing ground or putting up fencing.
• Bring any more caravans, mobile homes, structures or materials onto the land.
• Encourage or help anyone else to move onto the site.
• Deposit waste or other materials.
• Create new tracks or roadways.
• Install any utilities or services such as water, electricity or sewerage.
• Divide the land into plots or make any further alterations.
• Bring additional vehicles or machinery onto the site.