AN unauthorised encampment has been cleared in Amesbury after the council obtained a court order.

The site in Cholderton, near Amesbury, was host to several caravans, vehicles, chicken coops, aggressive dogs and unauthorised fencing built on the public highway.

Following the report, Environmental Enforcement Officers visited the camp and the occupant was issued with a seven-day warning notice to leave the site.

With the encampment still there after the expiration of the warning notice and with the council receiving further complaints about the blocked byway and aggressive dogs at the location, officers returned to the site accompanied by police.

The occupant of the encampment was served with further notices to vacate the land, including a formal S.77 Direction to Leave notice which gives local authorities in England and Wales the power to direct unauthorized campers to leave land.

When the owner failed again to comply, Wiltshire Council obtained a Removal Order during a hearing at Salisbury Magistrates on 19 November which formally authorised the removal. The owner was also ordered to pay £750 in costs to the council.

Wiltshire Council removes unauthorised encampmentWiltshire Council removed unauthorised encampment (Image: Wiltshire Council) Environmental Enforcement Officers moved in and cleared the site of all caravans, vehicles, and structures on 27 November with the assistance of an approved contractor and Wiltshire Police.

Councillor Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding, said: “As a council and the local Highway Authority, we have a legal duty to assert and protect the rights of the public to enable the use and enjoyment of any highway for which we have responsibility.

“The encampment in Cholderton was illegally in place and blocking the route for others wishing to use the byway.

"I’d like to thank the enforcement officers for their tenacity and patience in working through the legal process and successfully ensuring that the land was cleared.

“As this case shows, we will take firm and decisive action to remove unauthorised developments in Wiltshire.”