Unauthorised encampment in Send
Case reference FOI2026/01676
Received 10 August 2026
Published 8 September 2026
Request
I am seeking information relating to the unauthorised occupation of the public land in Send at the beginning of July 2026, located opposite the Send Surgery on Send Road, during the period in which multiple vehicles and caravans were parked on the site.
Information Requested – please provide the following:
1. All recorded actions taken by Guildford Borough Council in response to the unauthorised occupation, including:
* Enforcement actions,
* Environmental health actions,
* Waste‑management or cleansing actions,
* Any liaison with Surrey Police or other agencies,
* Any legal steps taken to remove the individuals or vehicles from the land.
2. Details of all offences or breaches recorded, including but not limited to:
* Illegal parking or unauthorised encampment,
* Fly‑tipping,
* Human waste disposal,
* Keeping of unrestrained livestock or animals,
* Use of motorcycles by children on the land.
3. Information on any investigations or prosecutions pursued, including:
* Whether individuals were identified,
* Whether fixed‑penalty notices, fines, or other sanctions were issued,
* Whether any cases were referred to the courts or other authorities,
* The outcomes of any enforcement or prosecution activity.
4. Financial information, specifically:
* The total cost incurred by Guildford Borough Council (and, if held, Send Parish Council) in clearing waste, human defecation, and other materials left on the land,
* Whether the Council sought to recover these costs from the individuals involved,
* Whether any cost‑recovery was successful, and if so, the amounts recovered.
5. Equality of enforcement
* Confirmation of whether the individuals involved were subject to the same enforcement processes and penalties that would ordinarily apply to any resident committing the same offences,
* Any policies or guidance used by the Council when determining enforcement action in cases involving unauthorised encampments.
Response
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Please find the answers to your queries below:
I am seeking information relating to the unauthorised occupation of the public land in Send at the beginning of July 2026, located opposite the Send Surgery on Send Road, during the period in which multiple vehicles and caravans were parked on the site.
Information Requested – please provide the following:
1. All recorded actions taken by Guildford Borough Council in response to the unauthorised occupation, including:
* Enforcement actions:
No enforcement undertaken by Guildford Borough Council, as this land is managed by Surrey County Council.
* Environmental health actions:
None.
* Waste‑management or cleansing actions:
Waste sacks cleared by Guildford Borough Council Street Cleaning team on an ad-hoc basis.
* Any liaison with Surrey Police or other agencies:
Yes, Guildford Borough Council Neighbourhood Enforcement Team were kept informed of enforcement progress by Surrey County Council, as a matter of courtesy.
* Any legal steps taken to remove the individuals or vehicles from the land.
Guildford Borough Council has no authority to take any lawful action, as this land is managed by Surrey County Council.
2. Details of all offences or breaches recorded, including but not limited to:
* Illegal parking or unauthorised encampment:
This information is not held by Guildford Borough Council. You would need to contact Surrey Police regarding this point.
* Fly‑tipping:
Surrey County Council were responsible for monitoring this. Guildford Borough Council Neighbourhood Enforcement Team would not be responsible for monitoring this unless it became a major concern.
* Human waste disposal:
Guildford Borough Council Street Cleaning team would have been responsible for ensuring that any publicly available human waste was disposed of appropriately.
* Keeping of unrestrained livestock or animals:
Local authorities recognize that animals may be kept free-roaming, but ensuring that their welfare needs are met is a mandatory part of responsible ownership and risk management, in accordance with the law. Any details of incidents, allegations or observations regarding animal welfare would be formally recorded in any court documents if necessary.
* Use of motorcycles by children on the land.
This information is not held by Guildford Borough Council. You would need to contact Surrey Police regarding this point.
3. Information on any investigations or prosecutions pursued, including:
* Whether individuals were identified:
Surrey County Council were responsible for monitoring this.
* Whether fixed‑penalty notices, fines, or other sanctions were issued:
None have been issued by Guildford Borough Council.
* Whether any cases were referred to the courts or other authorities:
This would be the responsibility of Surrey County Council.
* The outcomes of any enforcement or prosecution activity.
This would be the responsibility of Surrey County Council.
4. Financial information, specifically:
* The total cost incurred by Guildford Borough Council (and, if held, Send Parish Council) in clearing waste, human defecation, and other materials left on the land:
We have no records of any work orders or invoices being allocated to this particular incident or site. Therefore, the cost incurred to Guildford Borough Council is £nil.
* Whether the Council sought to recover these costs from the individuals involved:
N/A.
* Whether any cost‑recovery was successful, and if so, the amounts recovered.
N/A.
5. Equality of enforcement
* Confirmation of whether the individuals involved were subject to the same enforcement processes and penalties that would ordinarily apply to any resident committing the same offences:
N/A – Guildford Borough Council did not carry out any enforcement.
* Any policies or guidance used by the Council when determining enforcement action in cases involving unauthorised encampments.
This information is publicly available and can be found on our website via the following link:
https://www.guildford.gov.uk/unauthorisedencampments
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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