Illegal camps in Torbay are down. New measures ensure swift evictions, addressing concerns about noise and waste.
This happened due to SWISCo working with Able Enforcements. SWISCo is Torbay Council’s local services company, and they can work independently to tackle illegal camps more effectively.
Last April, SWISCo hired Able Enforcements. Steve Wood leads Able Enforcements, and they aimed to solve the illegal camp issue that used car parks and open land.
Wood said this bothers local residents a lot, as they do not want noise or waste. He helps councils use legal eviction methods well and offered services to SWISCo for local benefit.
SWISCo’s data shows few camps lately. April had one, May had eight, June saw two camps, July had five, August four, and September only one. October was clear, proving camps are fewer and shorter now.
Neil Coish said camps used to last into October, but they had no incidents from September to mid-December. Word spread that Torquay had zero tolerance.
Coish is happy with Able Enforcements’ help because illegal camps hurt locals and businesses, and they make holiday spots look bad. He advises other councils to copy them, as they deal with camps in hours now.
Able Enforcements gave SWISCo documents and provided best practice instructions, too. Staff got conflict training for tough situations, and Wood trains conflict management to B-Tech level 3.
He said legal powers let councils skip court. Section 77 empowers councils, letting them order people to leave occupied land. Otherwise, courts help swiftly, and their team handles the whole process, completing eviction often that same day.
Wood stated that camp occupants often know the law. He said understanding rights helps councils a lot, making managing the problem simpler.