Six Traveller families who bought a plot of land in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, in June 2017 are fighting a High Court appeal after being served an injunction to leave. The families, including Charlotte Smith and Gemma Lamb, say the land offers stability while allowing them to maintain their Traveller traditions.
Charlotte Smith, a mother of four, described the site as offering the 'best of both worlds'. 'We can shut up the gates and go, but we've got somewhere to come back to,' she said. The families have been battling Newark and Sherwood District Council for two-and-a-half years after an enforcement notice was issued in February 2018, citing lack of planning permission and flood risk.
Gemma Lamb, 34, whose husband has cancer, said living on the land allows her children to attend local schools and be part of the community. 'Put us in a house and close us in, that's just not the norm to us,' she added. The families argue they have nowhere else to go and are not costing the council anything.
The council maintains the land is unsuitable for residential use due to flooding and that planning rules were breached. The High Court will now decide the families' fate.
