Cash, 29, and his family bought a field in the hamlet and arrived there on the afternoon of Friday, August 26. It was the start of a Bank Holiday weekend and the travellers were relying on the fact that councils rarely take action until staff return to work the following Tuesday.
But on the Saturday officers from East Herts District Council approached a High Court judge, Kenneth Parker QC, who granted an injunction banning building.
Of course, they ignored it. Why not? Nothing had ever been done about this before...
But on Monday, Cash was ordered to appear before another High Court judge, Richard Seymour QC, and was jailed for four months for what the judge described as ‘a very bad case’ of contempt of court.
By 7pm on Monday, the three caravans had been removed.
And
that's how you do it!
A spokesman for Greens Residents Action Group said villagers were ‘amazed’ at how quickly the caravans were forced to move on. ‘The High Court judge was so impressive,’ she said. ‘We were concerned the problem would go on for three months or more.’
More of this, please!
Seems it is a somewhat Pyrrhic victory as, according to the comments, the caravans are still there and Mr Cash has been released as he has agreed to remove a whole 50% of the concrete already laid.
ReplyDeleteBut hang on, isn't it his own land?
ReplyDeleteSure, he didn't get building permission, but instead of screeching 'We can't do what we like on our own land so you can't either!', the residents committee would be better employed to question why some some jumped-up jobsworth has the power to dictate what anyone can do on their own land.
A dreamlike start drifting into a nightmare of gloating lawyers, shinar. And you are too much a humanitarian to inform us of costs.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh! You are such an arse. I'm not surprised you earn a pittance. you are obviously a deranged blogger.
ReplyDeleteOff topic, but this one leaves me speechless:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046205/Jealous-Blunkett-Bobby-faked-hate-campaign-colleague-beat-popular.html
"But hang on, isn't it his own land?"
ReplyDeleteYes, but:
"Building illegally on green belt land"
For once these "travellers" have found themselves subject to the same regulations that you or I are bound by. When (and only when) they put in an application and wait to get approval, will I grudgingly accept their presence here. You may not like being told what you can do on your own land, but that's what we have in Blighty, and if I have to abide by it so can they...
Probably the thick end of the wedge!
ReplyDeleteFucking pikeys! I hate 'em.
ReplyDeleteI think we can take it as read that a tribe of pikeys moving nearby has a detrimental effect on property values etc.
ReplyDeleteHowever, caravans are a temporary structure and as such should not be subject to planning permission.
Let's think this through to it's logical conclusion shall we? I'm not a great fan of caravans, especially stuck behind one being towed at 25mph on some twisty A-road on a Bank holiday monday teatime.
However my Aunty Mavis loves the things, and asks if I mind storing the thing over the winter on my driveway. Should I be subject to harassment by local planning officers and high court judges because the miserable old cunt over the road feels it lowers the tone and he's trying to sell his house?
I should say that's an unequivocal NO.
Yet with the anti-pikey precedent set, Mr miserable old cunt (and his lawyers) feel they have a strong case, and that they might.
Now if pikeys are nicking the lead off the roof or anything else that isn't nailed down, nick the fuckers and throw the sodding book at them. We already have laws on the statute books to cover this, but no they wont nick em, they use this as an excuse to draft in new legislation that effects everyone not just pikeys.
@Budvar - "Storing the thing over the winter on my driveway" Isn't the same as living in it 24/7 for years.
ReplyDeleteThey claim to be "travellers", yet then want to set up camps complete with brick built permanent structures. Maybe someone from the Caravan Club will tell me different, but I don't think you can get away with living full time at any UK caravan park for car tow-able caravans. The whole point is that you stay for a few days/weeks and then move on.
More permanent "mobile homes" are not designed to be moved frequently, and will have to be delivered by truck. These sites need planning permission for full time residential use. There's a case rumbling on round my way involving just such an issue, and people are being threatened with eviction because the site wasn't intended for constant occupation. Even some coastal holiday cottages fall under the same category.
Do ya like dags?
ReplyDeleteHowever, caravans are a temporary structure and as such should not be subject to planning permission...
ReplyDeleteWhat you mean is a caravan, moveable on wheels, is not a building. True, but stationing a residential caravan on land is an unauthorised change of use of the land.
A 'domestic family use' boat or caravan parked on the drive is unlikely to breach planning unless the house has a planning condition preventing it, but the storage of other non domestic items on the drive (such as portaloos) might.
Shigella, like it or not there have been planning rules in force in England since 1947. Any planning decision can be appealed and the Council can be liable for costs if they get it wrong.
"Seems it is a somewhat Pyrrhic victory as, according to the comments, the caravans are still there.."
ReplyDeleteGah! Didn't read the comments...
"But hang on, isn't it his own land?"
Yes, just as the 'travellers' own the Dale Farm land they've built on. But they don't have planning permission.
And as microdave points out, if we couldn't build on it, nor should they...
"...you are obviously a deranged blogger."
Well, cheers! I think Apu says it best.
"Off topic, but this one leaves me speechless..."
God grief! They certainly scraped the bottom of the barrel with her...
"However, caravans are a temporary structure and as such should not be subject to planning permission."
ReplyDeleteThese caravans usually aren't. The problem is the Dale Farm scenario, where once the hard standing is laid (illegally), they never move again.
"Maybe someone from the Caravan Club will tell me different, but I don't think you can get away with living full time at any UK caravan park for car tow-able caravans."
A colleague's parents had a pitch but, under the terms of the lease, had to move out for at least 6 weeks a year.