Tewkesbury Borough Council has secured a High Court sentence after a landowner repeatedly breached planning control and a court injunction.
On 2 January 2026, Mr Billy-Joe Roper was sentenced at Birmingham High Court following his conviction on nine counts of contempt of court for failing to comply with a planning injunction obtained by the council.
The injunction, granted in August 2023, aimed to stop unauthorised activity on the land after caravans were stationed there in May 2023 without planning permission. It prohibited siting caravans, occupying the land, laying hardstanding and carrying out building works without permission. Subsequent breaches included additional caravans, hard surfaces and changes of use to buildings.
At sentencing, the court imposed a six-month prison term, suspended for two years, ordered the removal or reversal of unauthorised works and required Mr Roper to pay the council’s legal costs of £75,000.
Cllr Sarah Hands, deputy leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council and lead member for Planning, said: ‘The council takes breaches of planning control extremely seriously. Planning High Court Injunctions exist to protect the community and the local environment, and it is essential that they are respected.’
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