Summer Travellers - Landowners beware!
It’s that time of year again. We have recently successfully made application to the Court of Session on behalf of one of our clients, Kenmore, to obtain a court order to remove travelling people from one of Kenmore’s vacant sites.
This is the first of the year but it is unlikely to be the last.
Within the central belt last year Semple Fraser were involved in a number of similar applications on behalf of clients who discovered they had some unwelcome visitors on their land.
Don’t think that the attraction is just sunny picnic spots in the country. Any vacant piece of land from car parks to industrial estates to town centre sites may attract anything from a few caravans to dozens of them.
Sometimes it is relatively peaceful but on other occasions there are concerns regarding disruption to neighbours, fire hazard, security, health and waste issues etc.
There are obligations on Local Authorities to have land available for travellers but many travellers seem to find that too restricting and prefer the freedom of camping somewhere at will. When they do come on to private land there are also council appointed liaison officers who are required to assist in moving them on to council land, but that doesn’t always work.
When all else fails it may be necessary to obtain court authority to evict. With experience this can be processed very quickly and once granted court messengers are given authority to take whatever steps are necessary to remove the vehicles, cars, dogs and people by force if necessary.
This is advance warning for landowners. Prevention is better than cure!
Take steps now to ensure your sites are secured. Use large boulders, dig ditches, put extra locks on gates, increase security cover and have the sites checked regularly.
If you do discover people have managed to access the site in spite of all of the above please contact us immediately for further assistance.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: ALISON GOW
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