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NATIONAL Park chiefs have launched a crackdown on people who flout planning laws by installing mobile homes on their land without permission.

The New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) has vowed to take residents to court if they ignore enforcement notices and refuse to remove unauthorised mobile homes from their land.

Prosecutions can result in defendants being told to pay thousands of pounds in fines and court costs. Two cases involving breaches of planning controls in Landford and Sway have already taken place.

An NPA spokesman said: "The Landford defendants were prosecuted for breaching an enforcement notice which required them to remove an unauthorised mobile home from their land at Latchmore Drove.

"It should have been taken away by the end of August 2006.

"The court took the view that the defendants had continually failed to comply with the notice despite repeated warnings from the NPA's enforcement team."

The spokesman said they were told to pay a total of £6,000 in fines and court costs.

In a separate case, two people from Sway were ordered to pay £800 in fines and costs after siting a mobile home on agricultural land without permission and then failing to comply with an enforcement notice that required its removal.

Sandy Tolmay, the NPA's senior enforcement officer, said: "Both cases illustrate that we take a strong stance against illegal dwellings in the national park. Failing to comply with the requirements of an enforcement notice is a very serious matter.

"The public's confidence in the planning system is quickly undermined if we fail to intervene in such cases.

"The authority has recently enhanced its enforcement role with the appointment of a compliance officer. It will continue to make sure that the requirements of all enforcement notices are fully met."

3:50pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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