You must not set up a camp on council land without permission. Anyone who does can be arrested, and may be imprisoned, fined or have their assets seized.

Current unauthorised camp sites in Merton

Details of any unauthorised encampments will be listed here when we become aware of them.

Report a site

To report an unauthorised site please email property.management@merton.gov.uk or phone the Metropolitan Police on 101, or in an emergency phone 999.

High Court injunction

There is an injunction in place until 13 March 2022 which bans unauthorised encampments in the borough of Merton. Anyone who sets up an unauthorised camp on council land, or brings a vehicle onto council land to dump waste without permission, can be immediately arrested for contempt of court, and can be imprisoned, fined or have their assets seized.

On 13 March 2019 the High Court granted Merton Council an Injunction Order lasting 3 years forbidding Persons Unknown Occupying Land or Persons Unknown Depositing Waste on the Land from:

• setting up an encampment on any land identified on the attached map and listed on Schedule A , without written permission from the local planning authority, or planning permission granted by a planning inspector;
• entering and/or occupying any part of the land for residential purposes (temporary or otherwise) on the sites listed on Schedule A and identified on the attached Map including with caravans, mobile homes, vehicles, and residential paraphernalia;
• bringing on to the land identified on the sites listed on Schedule A and identified on the attached Map or stationing on the land any caravans/ mobile homes other than if driving through the London Borough of Merton or in compliance with the parking orders regulating the use of car parks or with express permission from the owners of the land.
• bringing on to the land on the sites listed on Schedule A and identified on the attached map, any vehicle whether for the purposes of disposal of waste and materials or otherwise, other than when driving through the borough of Merton or in compliance with the parking orders regulating the use of car parks or with express permission from the owners of the land.

The land in this order means all land within the London Borough of Merton identified on the attached Map and on the sites listed on Schedule A below.

The interim injunction order contains a penal notice which means anyone breaching it may be held in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have their assets seized. The interim injunction order remains in force until midnight on 13 March 2022.

A writ of assistance was granted by the High Court on 23 April 2019. This allows the council to enforce the injunction order immediately.

The injunction order, claim form, application and evidence in support are also accessible via the links below. Any person who wishes to review hard copies of these documents, can do so by appointment during normal office hours at the Council offices, Civic Centre, London Road, Morden, SM4 5DX.

• Injunction Order 13 March 2019
• Map
• Schedule A         
• Return Day Bundle Index
• Divider 1 - Part 8 Claim Form
• Divider 2 - Application for Interim Injunction Order
• Divider 3 - Proposed draft injunction order
• Divider 4 - Witness statement of Howard Joy in support of Application for Interim Injunction Order 10.12.2018 (redacted)
• Divider 5 – Interim injunction Order 12 December 2018
• Divider 6 – Application Notice for return day
• Divider 7 – Second Witness statement of Howard Joy (redacted)
• Divider 8 – Witness statement of John Andrew Ingram
• Divider 9 – Witness statement of Harry Michael Mellor
• Divider 10 – Proposed order/Map

Unauthorised Encampment Protocol

The joint protocol agreement between the police and the council outlines the policy and operational response to unlawful encampments within the borough.

Each case of unauthorised encampment will be individually considered on its merits, before any decision on police response is made.

The protocol acknowledges the status and rights of Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers as distinct ethnic groups and our duty under the Race Relations Amendment Act (RRAA) to positively promote good race relations.

Traveller Unauthorised Encampment Protocol

We recognise that Merton has a long history of Traveller culture and that many of our residents are of Traveller heritage. Travellers often struggle to access services around health, education and housing. Those who are highly mobile can miss out on the support they need. Therefore we will endeavour to ensure that the needs of children, younger people and other vulnerable groups from highly mobile Traveller families are met. We acknowledge that this means we have dual and sometimes conflicting roles in relation to Travellers who camp unlawfully.