Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the trends in the number of unauthorised developments on land (a) owned by travellers and (b) not owned by travellers since July 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It is for local planning authorities to determine whether to enforce against unauthorised development and to keep records of their enforcement activities.
The government does not collect granular data on unauthorised development by type.
We have published guidance on various planning enforcement matters, including Temporary Stop Notices, and this is available on gov.uk here.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the incidence of unauthorised travellers frustrating Temporary Stop Notices by subdividing land into multiple plots.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has not made a specific estimate of the incidence of unauthorised travellers frustrating Temporary Stop Notices by subdividing land into multiple plots.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of court delays on local authorities carrying out enforcement of unauthorised encampments on Council property.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Enforcement action against unauthorised encampments is treated as urgent business by the courts, and subject to any local capacity constraints, courts will issue proceedings and set a hearing date for the next available date.
Work is ongoing to make improvements in the County Court, to deliver a more efficient, timely and digitised service. We are increasing resources, including through targeted judicial recruitment, and introducing new digital systems - such as a new end-to-end digital possession service for all possession claims in England and Wales – to drive efficiencies. Local Authorities will be able to use the new digital possession service for enforcement action against unauthorised encampments on Council property when fully rolled out.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Hamble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2025 to Question 65276 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, if she will publish the representation made by the National Police Chief’s Council on the High Court judgment and its implications for operational policing.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has engaged with the National Police Chiefs’ Council following the High Court judgment to understand the implications of the judgment for operational policing.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in effectively managing (a) waste disposal, (b) water pollution and (c) other environmental and public safety issues arising from traveller sites.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Planning Policy for Traveller Sites, which can be found on gov.uk here, makes clear that local authorities should ensure that traveller sites are sustainable economically, socially and environmentally. In doing so, authorities should ensure their policies provide for proper consideration of the effect of local environmental quality on the health and well-being of any travellers that may locate there.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing immediate stop notices with penalties for breaches to help reduce cases of members of the travelling community developing on Green Belt land.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Enforcement is at the discretion of local planning authorities. They have a wide range of powers with strong penalties for non-compliance and it is for them to decide how and when they use those powers depending on the circumstances of each case.
The government has no plans to amend local planning authorities’ enforcement powers at this time. We will, however, continue to keep the operation of the enforcement system under review.
With regard to capacity and capability, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 67508 on 14 July 2025.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to prevent members of the travelling community from developing property on Green Belt land; and if she will take steps to strengthen the planning process in this area.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Enforcement is at the discretion of local planning authorities. They have a wide range of powers with strong penalties for non-compliance and it is for them to decide how and when they use those powers depending on the circumstances of each case.
The government has no plans to amend local planning authorities’ enforcement powers at this time. We will, however, continue to keep the operation of the enforcement system under review.
With regard to capacity and capability, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 67508 on 14 July 2025.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Gypsy and Traveller sites will be included in the next round of Social and Affordable Homes Programme funding.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Traveller sites fall within the scope of the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme, and we welcome bids to deliver new sites.
It is our intention to publish a full prospectus for the Programme in autumn 2025 and open it for bids in the winter.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take steps to help tackle the dismissal of High Court injunctions relating to the development of traveller sites.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is for the independent courts to determine the lawfulness of individual injunctions. Local authorities and the police have a range of powers available to manage unauthorised encampments.
Statutory guidance issued by the Home Office sets out how these powers should be applied, including the importance of considering welfare needs and ensuring that any enforcement action is lawful, necessary and proportionate.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support local authorities in tackling illegal encampments.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The police and local authorities are equipped with a range of powers to respond to unauthorised encampments. These include long-standing provisions under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, as well as additional powers introduced through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.
The response to unauthorised encampments is led locally, involving multi-agency collaboration between local authorities, police, and relevant services. This approach supports community engagement and ensures that responses are tailored to local needs.
Statutory guidance issued by the Home Office sets out how these powers should be applied, including the importance of considering welfare needs and ensuring that any enforcement action is lawful, necessary and proportionate.
The criminal offence in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, introduces penalties for those who cause significant damage, disruption or distress while residing on land without permission in or with a vehicle, and refuse to leave when asked. The offence is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 3 months, or a fine of up to £2,500, or both, and/or seizure of the vehicle.