Unauthorised Traveller Encampments

Cllr Steve Forster and Ranil Jayawardena MP

Hot on the heels of the announcement of more police funding, locally and nationally, there’s more good news from the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

You’ll remember that we - together - presented a petition to Parliament, calling for action on unlawful traveller encampments. I have made it clear to Ministers that the current law is simply inadequate.

They have proven that they are listening.

We called for police to be able to direct trespassers to sites outside our county - and for the police to be able to act even when there are fewer than six vehicles (as the current law doesn’t allow for this!). Today, the government have said they agree and they want to change the law.

The government has taken on board the support that you and others provided for making 'intentional trespass' a criminal offence, so they will now be looking at the specifics of how to implement this, along with increasing the period of time that trespassers moved off land will be unable to return, and enabling the police to move trespassers off highway land, so that our councils don’t have to waste money going to court.

This is excellent news - but it is just the next step on our journey. There will be forces against us that now try to stop this change so, if we’re going to get this through, I need your continued support for change.

The politically-correct brigade will organise campaigns saying that this is outrageous, discriminatory and wrong. They’re wrong. It’s the current system that outrageous and discriminatory - against the silent majority. We need the silent majority to speak up again.

I know you’re busy, so I’ve made it easy to do so again, by launching a follow-up petition that backs this real change - and asks the government to get on with it!

Please sign it and share it with your friends and family.

We have made good progress, so let’s keep pressing the government until this change is delivered.

Unauthorised Traveller Encampment Powers

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To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled.

The Humble Petition of the people of Hampshire,

Sheweth,

That urgent action must be taken concerning unauthorised traveller encampments, which are a nuisance for local communities; and, further, that we welcome the proposed new powers in HM Government’s recent response to its consultation on powers for dealing with unauthorised development and encampments.

Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House urges HM Government to take all possible steps to swiftly implement the powers proposed, namely permitting the police to direct trespassers to suitable authorised sites located in neighbouring local authority areas; increasing the period of time in which trespassers directed from land would be unable to return; lowering the number of vehicles needing to be involved in an unauthorised encampment before police powers can be exercised; and enabling the police to remove trespassers from land that forms part of the highway; further, that intentional trespass should be made a criminal offence; and, further, take note of the detailed consultation response submitted by our Member of Parliament.

And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c

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