Gypsies and Travellers
Related pages
Unauthorised Encampments
- Unauthorised Encampments (UEs) are defined by the Government as "encampments of caravans and/or other vehicles on land without the landowner or occupier's consent and constituting trespass"
- UEs fall into 2 main categories:
- those on land owned by local authorities (highways, schools, public parks and car-parks etc.)
- those on privately owned land
- People parking caravans on their own land without planning permission are not UEs (in that they cannot trespass on their own land) - they are "Unauthorised Developments" and are always dealt with by enforcement of planning legislation by the Planning Team
The management of Unauthorised Encampments
- Where the UE is on local authority land, the relevant Council will lead:
- Kent County Council (KCC) on highways and schools outside the Medway area, and other KCC-owned land
- Medway Council in Medway
- The relevant District Council on all other local authority land outside Medway
- On private land, it is the landowner who is primarily responsible (although the District Council and KCC will offer advice and assistance)
- Unauthorised Developments are managed by the relevant Local Planning Authority
- In all cases, the Police are responsible for crime-related issues
Reporting UEs
All UEs and Unauthorised Developments should be reported to the Kent County Council at gypsy.traveller@kent.gov.uk or call 0300 333 5540. This line should also be called for general advice, to providing updates and to seek general information on management of specific encampments.
