High Court grants injunction prohibiting caravans on ‘national landscape’ site

The borough council sought the injunction against five named individuals and 'persons unknown' who had been living on – or planning to move onto – a field in Kilndown, near Lamberhurst in Kent.

The five individuals had each been sold plots on the site, which is in the High Weald National Landscape.

One person had already developed the land and begun to unlawfully occupy it in early May this year.

Fearing that the owners of the other plots also intended to live there, the council sought an injunction under Section 187B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 on 30 May 2025.

In its injunction application, the council argued that actual breaches of planning control had already taken place and that there was "a real risk of further breaches".

It said that an injunction would help apprehend any further unauthorised development.

It added that one of the plot owners had plans to site a further caravan on the land and had continued to undertake works even after planning officers had instructed him not to.

The application also pointed to a shed that had been built on the land, which was of "sufficient size for occupation".

The council had also received a planning application from some of the plot owners seeking a change of use for the stationing of three static caravans for residential use on the site.

The High Court ultimately granted the 12-month injunction on 6 June.

The Head of Planning Service, Carlos Hone, said: "The council acted very quickly to stop this unauthorised development before too much work had been done on the site.

"I hope people will realise that we will not hesitate in taking whatever action is necessary in situations like these.

"We have a planning system which is there to both protect communities and ensure that areas like the National Landscape are protected against unauthorised development."

Adam Carey