Buckinghamshire Council has taken swift and decisive action in response to unauthorised development on Green Belt land in Ashley Green, securing an urgent High Court injunction over the Easter weekend.
The council was first alerted late on Thursday 2 April, when a report was received at around 9.30pm indicating that caravans had moved onto land off Hog Lane despite a previously refused planning application.
By the morning of Good Friday 3 April, officers had prepared a Temporary Stop Notice (TSN) and visited the site, where they observed multiple men, trade vehicles and evidence of caravans and hardstanding works. The TSN was served Friday afternoon, requiring all works to cease immediately. However, reports and photographs received confirmed that activity continued in breach of the notice.
Further evidence early on Saturday 4 April showed that unauthorised works were still ongoing. The council escalated its response, preparing witness statements for an urgent without‑notice injunction and issuing instructions to its legal representatives early in the morning. Additional site reports were received at midday and again mid-afternoon, and a meeting with counsel took place later that day to finalise the application.
At around 9.30pm on Saturday evening, the High Court granted an Interim Injunction, which was formally served on Easter Sunday. The Order prohibits any further works, occupation or alteration of the land, including bringing additional caravans or materials onto the site, creating new tracks, installing services, depositing waste or assisting others in moving onto the land.
Image: Aerial photograph of the unauthorised site at Hog Lane in Ashley Green
Peter Strachan, Buckinghamshire Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning, said:
"This kind of unauthorised development is completely unacceptable, and I want to be absolutely clear that Buckinghamshire Council will not hesitate to use the full extent of the law to protect our area from harmful unauthorised development. Our officers worked tirelessly throughout the bank holiday period to gather evidence, issue enforcement notices and secure an urgent injunction within hours.
"People cannot simply ignore planning rules because it suits them, and this swift action demonstrates exactly how seriously we take any breach. We will continue to monitor the site closely and will pursue further legal steps if required."
Members of the public who are concerned about potential unauthorised development or believe that planning rules may be being breached can report this to Buckinghamshire Council using the Report a planning breach form on the council's website (external link).
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