An illegal caravan site in Nottinghamshire must cease operating and the land must be restored to its original condition by 15 January 2027, following a final injunction order made at Nottingham County Court.
The ruling follows legal action by Newark and Sherwood District Council over an unauthorised development at Weston, between Tuxford and Sutton-on-Trent, alongside the A1.
The court also awarded the council £30,000 in legal costs, with all defendants jointly and severally liable for the amount.
The development began on Good Friday, 18 April 2025, when occupiers carried out extensive works on the land over the bank holiday weekend.
Within 24 hours, roads had been constructed, hedges removed, entrances created and fencing installed. Electricity and water supplies were also established to create individual caravan pitches.
By Tuesday 22 April 2025, approximately 40 pitches had been established on the site.
Newark and Sherwood District Council served a planning enforcement notice and began legal proceedings to prevent further development.
An interim injunction was subsequently granted prohibiting additional activity on the land. The council continued its enforcement action over the following months, including successfully defending an appeal against its enforcement notice.
The latest hearing followed the council’s application to restore injunction proceedings originally brought in April 2025.
In his ruling, His Honour Judge Owen said the works had been carried out over a bank holiday to ensure they were completed “with a degree of secrecy”, describing the operation as “pre-planned and well-orchestrated”.
Councillor Andy Freeman, Chair of Newark and Sherwood District Council’s Planning Committee, said:
“This is an excellent result for Newark and Sherwood District Council and for everyone in the district who expects planning rules to be applied fairly and consistently. It sends a clear message that we will take appropriate enforcement action wherever breaches occur, whether they are large or small.
“I would also like to thank the officers whose tireless work over many months helped secure this result.
“Reports from residents help us identify and investigate potential breaches. I encourage anyone who believes development may be taking place without the necessary permission to report it to the Council so our planning enforcement team can consider the matter.”
The final injunction requires the unauthorised use of the land as a caravan site to end and the site to be returned to its previous condition by the January deadline.
Councillor Freeman added:
“This hasn’t been an easy journey, but we have been absolutely committed to this case and ensuring planning rules are observed. I know the local community have been very concerned since April last year and I hope this is welcoming news to them. The hard work is not over and we will continue to push this court decision right up until the site is returned back to normal.”
The council has served the court order on the relevant parties and says it will continue monitoring the site to ensure the requirements are met.
It will also take steps to recover the £30,000 in legal costs awarded by the court.
