Somerset Council faces mounting pressure after Burnham-on-Sea endured a turbulent summer marked by repeated traveller encampments causing widespread disruption and damage to the town’s reputation.
Burnham-on-Sea North councillor Peter Clayton has voiced the frustration of local residents and businesses, highlighting the financial losses and social disturbances triggered by unauthorised traveller arrivals. Between June and September alone, Burnham experienced ten separate encampments, each bringing challenges such as vehicles with removed number plates, laundry hanging in public spaces, scattered litter, and hazardous incidents like a large fire used to burn plastic coating off cables.
The town council had previously engaged with local police to tackle rising concerns about anti-social behaviour, theft, and vandalism. Despite these efforts, many incidents go unreported as traders lack confidence that meaningful action will follow. Cllr Clayton himself reports having faced personal threats and witnessing thefts from shop owners.
READ MORE: Somerset’s Bridgwater Awarded £20 Million to Revitalize Deprived Neighborhoods
READ MORE: Somerset House Prices: Cheapest and Most Expensive Areas Unveiled
He challenged Somerset Council over inconsistencies in eviction timelines and questioned why enforcement is often delayed, especially concerning vehicles without number plates. Cllr Clayton emphasized the urgent need for a dedicated officer to systematically log and address anti-social behaviour, ensuring the severity of the situation is recognized and not dismissed.
One critical demand is progress on the long-promised transit site, intended to provide a proper facility for travellers and reduce unauthorised encampments. Funding for a transit site in Glastonbury has already been secured through the Town Deal, yet no significant development has occurred.
“Residents and traders in Burnham are fed up with inaction,” Cllr Clayton said. “Other councils respond faster, but Somerset consistently lags behind. Our town has lost vital parking revenue and coach visitors, and local businesses are bearing the brunt. We need swifter enforcement, tougher deterrents, and definitive action on the transit site so our community isn’t left to shoulder this disruption every summer.”
At the September 25 Full Council meeting, Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, Lead Member for Communities, acknowledged the difficulties faced by Burnham but explained that the council’s hands are tied by national legal procedures and limited court availability for eviction applications. She noted that blanket injunctions had been deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court and reassured that Somerset Council continues to explore options for both temporary and permanent traveller sites.