Decision details

To adopt the protocol appended to the report to enable officers to more effectively manage unauthorised encampments.

To adopt the protocol appended to the report to enable officers to more effectively manage unauthorised encampments.

The purpose of the protocol is to ensure that the process of dealing with an unauthorised encampment is fully understood by all parties.

The protocol seeks to take a quick response which fully assesses the support needs of the encampment as well as having a pragmatic approach to tolerate an encampment in certain circumstances.

To not have a protocol would potentially delay an appropriate response and put individuals at risk.

Option 2 – Not to adopt the protocol.

Option 3 – To make recommended changes to the protocol prior to it being adopted.

Two representations received both addressing the toleration criteria, suggesting that if meet does this enable individuals/ groups to camp freely on the IOW with no pressure of being moved on if compliant with the criteria.

Response – Toleration would be assessed on a case by case basis, however the Council’s position remains that unauthorised camping is trespass and those camped unlawfully should be moved on as suitably possible. With this in mind additional wording has been added to the protocol under point 25 to highlight our position on unauthorised camping, which states:

‘It is the intention of the IOW Council to move on anyone camping without authorisation. Only under exceptional circumstances will an unauthorised encampment be tolerated’.

The toleration criteria provides a safeguard to the council, as if circumstances evoke a need to tolerate an encampment then without a time specific deadline, in theory an encampment could remain indefinitely.

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