Tandridge District Council has been granted a final injunction against unauthorised development on land at Hill View Manor Park, also known as Highview, at Beech Farm Road in Warlingham.

The judge ordered that the land should be cleared of static caravans and restored to its original state with the exception of four gypsy and traveller pitches which obtained planning permission in 2019.

The High Court orders were granted against 25 named defendants. The time allowed for compliance varies from three months to one day.

The judge stated the defendants had committed “clear and flagrant” breaches of planning rules and that council officers had been “careful and measured in their testimony.”

His judgement went on to say: “An important matter in this case is the need to enforce planning control and to recognise the benefit that the appropriate and firm exercise of such control provides to the community as a whole. That is particularly so here because I have found that the breach is persistent and flagrant. Enforcement and Stop notices have been ineffective.”

Catherine Sayer, Leader of the Council, said: “This unauthorised development has been a long running problem for the local community and this judgement is very welcome. Council officers have put a large amount of time and effort into dealing with the case, in often very difficult circumstances, and I was pleased to see the judge recognised that and found that some of the defendants had deliberately put obstacles in the way of the attempts by officers to obtain information and had obstructed their inquiries.”