A COURT injunction has been granted to prevent the owners of a site near Sherfield Park from carrying out anymore unlicensed work on the land.

As reported on The Gazette website last Friday, residents raised concerns about the piece of land in Dixon Road, Sherfield-on-Loddon, after dozens of trees were felled and burned.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council told The Gazette that they had sought a court injunction at Winchester County Court to prevent “any building, engineering or other operations in, on, over or under the land without planning permission; or making a material change in the use of the land by using it for residential purposes.”

This has now been approved.

Karen Brimacombe, the council’s corporate director, said: “Residents’ concerns have focused on the possibility of this land being used by the new owners as a traveller site.

“Given the size and scale of the site and the potential impact from a change of use of the land for whatever purpose, the judge granted the injunction. This injunction forbids anyone from doing anything on the land that would need planning permission.

“Any evidence that anyone had breached this order could result in them being sent to prison by the county court.

“Should members of the public have evidence that the order has been breached, they should contact the council with as full details as possible.”