Wiltshire Council clears land behind The Brambles in Salisbury
Enforcement officers have been working for years on the issue
A piece of land behind The Brambles in Salisbury has finally been cleared, after years of efforts by Wiltshire Council.
The site's been used as an authorised camp for a long time, with caravans and temporary buildings set up illegally.
That's also caused anti-social behaviour issues for residents, and Chafyn Grove School.
The Council's Planning Enforcement Officers have been working to clear the site since 2019, when the encampment was first reported.
The occupier was issued with contravention and enforcement notices, requiring them to leave the area, but they weren't complied with.
A prosecution followed in 2022, with the occupier fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 in costs and £470 in other charges.
That still wasn't complied with, so a second prosecution followed in October 2023, with a further £5,000 fine.
Council officers finally moved in to clear the site in July this year.
Cllr Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Development Management, said:
“Like many enforcement cases, this was a complicated and drawn-out process that was further delayed due to the pandemic. However, thanks to the tenacity of our excellent enforcement officers, we have achieved the right result and have now cleared the land.
“They have worked closely with local residents, farmers, elected members, the parish council Wiltshire Police, the nearby school, legal colleagues and many other stakeholders to successfully secure the site.
“We will not tolerate unauthorised developments in Wiltshire, and as this case shows, we will take action and work to resolve these issues for as long as it takes.
“In this case, the person involved was causing significant issues for the local community through antisocial behaviour, and so I’m very pleased that we could resolve this for local people.”