Due to the housing critical situation in the UK, there has been an increase in the number of unauthorised traveller encampments in Lancashire.
This shortage in Lancashire has led to a dramatic increase in the numbers of travellers setting up unauthorised campsites in Preston, Burnley, or Morecambe such as playing fields and car parks.
Government statistics from 2016-2017 show that there has been a 17% increase in the number of travellers in Lancashire on unauthorised plots and property not owned by travellers.
For plots of land in Lancashire that are socially rented, there was only a 2% increase seen between 2010 and 2017.
In order to evict the travellers and get the possession of land back in Burnley, Morecambe, or Preston, landowners and local authorities in Lancashire have 2 options.
The first alternative is to evict travellers in Lancashire by making use of common law.
This law allows landowners in Lancashire the authority to make travellers leave their property in Lancashire, and may even employ the use of force to do so.
Enforcement agents typically perform evictions in Lancashire using common law.
Also, such evictions are carried out by enforcement agents from Denbigh Franks who would issue a 24-hour ultimatum to those travellers directing them to vacate the Lancashire site.
If the site in Preston, Burnley, or Morecambe is not vacated after the 24-hour period, the Denbigh Franks enforcement agents will return to remove any remaining travellers with the equipment, and possibly police if necessary.
Including removal from common law in Lancashire has several advantages.
The speed of eviction in Lancashire is the most important advantage here.
In many situations, a common law eviction will take place within 24 hours, which ensures that there is less opportunity to cause damage to the land or property in Lancashire and reduces the possibility of flipping the fly.
Lancashire land owners and local authorities can also obtain a writ of possession if you don't want to use the common law.
Under a writ of possession, the first step is to get an order of ownership in Lancashire.
This can be served to an "unknown" when the possession order is for travellers or squatters in Morecambe, Burnley, or Preston.
When the order of possession has been awarded in Lancashire, then the applicant may transfer it to the High Court and then be executed by a Denbigh Franks High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO).
The benefit of transferring up the writ of possessions to the High Court in Lancashire is that the High Court Officer from Denbigh Franks decides the right way to enforce the order.
This is helpful especially when dealing with the travellers in Lancashire as the element of surprise prevents the risk of damaging and stealing from the property or forming a resistance to eviction in Lancashire.
Avoiding the occurrence of these types of situations in the first instance is always better than dealing with eviction in Preston, Burnley, or Morecambe and the possible money, time and effort involved, so there are many things local authorities and property owners in Lancashire can do to avoid the occurrence of these situations.
For instance, you can put fences and gates around your property, and you can equally erect a big billboard to warn off potential trespassers from gaining access to your property as unwanted visitors can't bypass these structures to gain unauthorized access to your property in Lancashire.
In addition, trenches, earth bunds and embankments can also help in preventing unwanted visitors from entering your land in Lancashire.
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If you would like to find out more about the bespoke security services we provide here at Denbigh Franks, please do not hesitate to get in touch today. We look forward to answering any questions you may have.