The group have transformed Seasons Farm in the village of Pootings, Kent (Image: undefined)
Travellers who set up a caravan site close to Sir Winston Churchill’s family home have been granted temporary permission to stay put.
The group caused local anger after transforming the Kent site into a caravan park in just 48 hours – working at an “extraordinary pace” in an alleged bid to avoid council action.
Laura Trott MP said the group arrived at Seasons Farm in the small village of Pootings, Kent – just a few miles from Chartwell – at around 5pm on August 22 to carry out a “cynical” raid.
The Conservative representative for Sevenoaks claimed the works were timed in a bid to set up before council officers could secure an injunction and halt work.
Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) secured a High Court Order on August 24, preventing further development at the site.
The group have transformed Seasons Farm in the village of Pootings, Kent (Image: undefined)
However, Ms Trott, along with some locals, believe building has continued since the injunction was imposed.
Now, a High Court judge has amended the injunction until the case has been heard in full, allowing the 12 caravans and their occupants at the site to remain until the New Year.
Aerial photos of the site appear to show static caravans on cleared farmland – which is privately owned – and separated into several lots by fencing.
A large manor-style house with a swimming pool is located opposite the site.
Five people were listed on the original injunction as owners of the Seasons Farm site: Patrick Delaney, William Harrington, John Quilligan, Thomas O’Brien and Thomas Coffey.
The group have transformed Seasons Farm in the village of Pootings, Kent (Image: undefined)
Ms Trott, 40, claimed the works at the site breached planning law, saying: “Those responsible cynically began work after 5pm on Friday, clearly hoping that no action could be taken until after the long weekend.
“But thanks to the swift work by SDC, an injunction was secured on Saturday evening – an excellent piece of work, for which I am extremely grateful.
“However, work appears to have continued over the weekend, including more vehicles arriving on site.
“This is completely unacceptable. I will also be raising this matter with Government Ministers.”
Ms Trott added that she wanted laws to change and ‘criminalise’ such behaviour.
However, Alan Masters, acting on behalf of the owners of the land, told the High Court the original injunction “should never have been made”, as the owners were allowed to move caravans onto the site.
“This is a concerning trend we see with Local Authorities,” Mr Masters said.
He added that the fact that caravans were already on the site should have triggered the courts’ enquiries as to ‘welfare’.
Mrs Justice Henrietta Hill agreed to amend Mr Justice Ian Dove’s original injunction to allow the 12 caravans currently at the site to remain there until the case is heard at trial.
The group have transformed Seasons Farm in the village of Pootings, Kent (Image: undefined)
She said: “Essentially, this does preserve the current status quo, however that has been reached; wrongly, in [the Council’s] case, [or] appropriately in the defendants’ case.
“You both can’t be correct. Those [caravans] already on the land can stay until a further hearing.
“I am extending the interim order granted by Mr Justice Dove.”
Mrs Justice Hill explained that her amendments to the current injunction were to “not bring further caravans onto the land” or to permit “any further occupants” in the existing caravans.
The group have transformed Seasons Farm in the village of Pootings, Kent (Image: undefined)
The case is likely to be heard again in January, after both sides have collected expert evidence to support their conflicting cases.
In a previous statement, SDC labelled the pace and scale of the works over the Bank Holiday weekend as “extraordinary”, adding that if works were found to have continued after the injunction was served, those responsible could be charged with criminal offences.
After the High Court hearing, a spokesperson for SDC said: “At today’s (15/09) hearing, the Judge has confirmed the injunction, with an amendment which allows the current number of caravans and their occupants to remain at Seasons Farm, until a future hearing date.
“With the new interim injunction granted, we will explore all legal options available to us.”