A leading barrister has backed campaigners in their bid to secure an injunction against unauthorised travellers on Barony Park in Nantwich.
Friends of Barony Park and Conservative MP candidate Dr Kieran Mullan have led calls for Cheshire East Council to apply for a court injunction.
If granted, it would allow a quicker removal of unauthorised travellers from Barony Park, which has seen 12 encampments already in 2019.
Cheshire East Council has been sceptical about the use of injunctions, citing a Bromley Council application which was refused in May.
But they declined to make public any legal advice the authority has taken so far.
Now Dr Mullan says they have the backing of an independent legal expert on the use of injunctions being used by more than 30 local authorities across the country.
Steven Woolf is a barrister who has represented numerous local authorities applying for court injunctions against unauthorised encampments.
These include Wycombe Council that was awarded an injunction earlier this month.
Mr Woolf said: “I can confirm that the Bromley decision is not a bar to a well constructed, reasonable and proportionate application for a preventative injunction.”
Mr Woolf says since the Bromley decision was handed down in mid-May he has secured four further borough-wide preventative injunctions.
Dr Mullan added: “Myself and the residents are not giving up on this.
“If we need to seek independent legal advice to prove our case then we will.
“It is clear the injunction would help and we have now got a legal expert backing our view.
“Whilst some individual residents are hearing positive noise from the council behind the scenes still have not publicly and clearly stated they are going to apply for one.
“We are going to keep going for as long as it takes.”
A spokesperson for Friends of Barony Park said: “It’s a shame we have had to resort to searching across the country for an expert which is what Cheshire East should be doing.
“But we are going to do whatever we need to do until the Barony is protected.”
We have again approached Cheshire East Council for a statement, having received no replies on two previous occasions on this developing story.
I’m joining the barony protest next Sat. Civil democracy folks!
Nantwich town council and friends of the barony Park group have organised a peaceful protest on sat 8th September on the barony. 10,000 flyers have been posted around local houses in the area.
Hopefully the mayor will address the crowd whom will be peaceful and democratic.
Hi it gates all around and stop them from ruining our Nantwich