Ealing Granted Borough-wide Injunction Against Traveller Encampments
Policy switch made on the back of police advice
Picture: taken by local residents and published on Cllr Dabrowska's blog
Having previously ruled out a borough-wide injunction against traveller encampments, Ealing Council has applied and now been granted one.
With Metropolitan Police backing, the council took the decision following a recent surge in encampment numbers, with 40 alone arriving since November 2018.
This is a significant increase in what is normally the quietest time of the year for these types of encampments.
The injunction gives police the power to quickly remove those who ignore the injunction across the borough’s open spaces, housing estates, car parks.
It also forbids caravans, mobile homes, vans and lorries from coming onto public land and setting up camps and dumping waste on it.
It will mean that neither the council nor the police will have to rely on their respective powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which is not always quick and effective at removing incursions and encampments.
Implementing a borough-wide injunction will stop 'named persons' and ‘persons unknown’ from camping or dumping waste on any parks, sports fields, leisure areas, agricultural land, woodland areas, opens spaces, housing estates, car parks and leisure facilities in the borough which are owned and managed by the council.
The injunction will initially remain in force until a full hearing on 19 July 2019. Providing the injunction is working effectively in practice, the council can ask the court to extend it for a three-year period.
Mark Wiltshire, the council’s director of safer communities and housing, said: “Over the past three years we have worked hard to manage encampments in partnership with local Police, using the most appropriate powers available promptly. However, more recently the increase in numbers over the winter, which may be as a result of other boroughs across the capital obtaining similar injunctions, has meant that we now must consider this option to protect our parks and open spaces.”
Ealing Common councillor Joanna Dabrowska had been urging that a borough-wide injunction be sought for some time. She started a petition in favour of an injunction last September which received over 1,500 signatures. Previously the Council had claimed that a borough-wide injunction was not a sustainable solution. They said that all incursions would have individual issues attached to them, giving the council a statutory duty to carry out welfare checks before issuing notices.
Councillor Dabrowska said, “I am delighted that the Council has finally seen sense.
"Why did it take a year-long campaign, a petition and a motion, plus over 200 unauthorised encampments and costs hitting £1m, for the Council to do the right thing by its residents?
"The rank hypocrisy of my Labour colleague claiming credit for something he publicly opposed is unbelievable. At Full Council, he explicitly and adamantly said that it is not the way forward. Residents know the truth.
"The next step is for the Council to provide more legal pitches to improve travellers’ access to welfare and education.”
Councillor Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council, said, “Most travellers are peaceful and law abiding. However, as in all communities, there are those who fail to respect their surroundings, or local residents, or who are intent on criminal behaviour. Indeed, we have had several instances of commercial fly-tipping, with tonnes of waste being dumped illegally.
“The council has allocated £200K to construct bunds, railings and ditches around the perimeter of Ealing Common, which should prevent unauthorised vehicles accessing the Common. As this is common land, we’re waiting for the Secretary of State for Local Government to approve our application to construct these defences. After the success of similar works on Norwood Green I am confident that the proposed works, in addition to the injunction the council has applied for, will dramatically reduce unauthorised encampments.”
13th May 2019 ( updated)