Overview

• The unauthorised encampment has been on South Esplanade lawns and Priory Gardens since July 13 and remains in place after a Magistrates’ Court hearing on July 25.
• Somerset Council issued a Formal Notice to Leave on July 15 under section 77 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and says it secured the earliest possible court date.
• Residents report abandoned tyres, fridges and human waste on the greens and allege that soiled nappies were thrown into the sea.
• MP Ashley Fox has criticised the 12-day delay before the council applied for a court order and urged faster action to protect local traders and families.
• The standoff underscores recurring regional challenges with statutory eviction timelines and the shortage of permanent traveller stopping sites.