High Court hearing on unauthorised Reading Road site scheduled

West Berkshire Council has returned to the High Court in relation to the unauthorised Traveller site at Reading Road, where an existing injunction remains in place.

On Tuesday 27 January 2026, the Council opposed an application by the landowners to vary the injunction to allow up to 20 families to remain on the site pending a planning decision. The Council was prepared for the matter to be determined on the basis of the written evidence and opposed the landowners' request to delay proceedings. However, both parties strongly disputed each other's evidence.

Due to the complexity of the issues raised, the Judge determined that the application could not fairly be decided at that hearing and has directed that a substantive High Court hearing take place after March 2026. The hearing is expected to last three days, during which both parties will be cross-examined before a final decision is made.

The Judge confirmed that the existing injunction remains fully in force until the substantive hearing takes place. This means that any occupation of the land beyond Plots 7 and 8, closest to the public footpath, remains a breach of the injunction, and the Council will continue to monitor the site and consider appropriate action where breaches occur.

West Berkshire Council is now preparing for the substantive hearing.

While landowners have a legal right to be present on land they own, the Council has reiterated that the unauthorised change of use of the land remains unlawful and is the subject of ongoing enforcement action.

The Council has also received further planning applications relating to the site. These applications are currently undergoing validation. Should any application be validated, members of the public will be able to submit comments in line with the statutory consultation process.

A recent High Court case in Tewkesbury has highlighted the seriousness with which breaches of planning enforcement injunctions are treated. In that case, a landowner received a six-month suspended prison sentence, alongside an order to remove unauthorised works and to pay £75,000 in council costs, following repeated non-compliance with an injunction.

West Berkshire Council has confirmed that it remains committed to pursuing this matter through the appropriate legal channels and will continue to act where breaches of the injunction occur.