A man has been handed a two-month suspended jail sentence after setting up an unauthorised traveller site on agricultural land near Blythe Bridge without planning permission.
Simon McDonagh continued developing the site on land at the rear of Stallington Road even after Stafford Borough Council issued him with a Stop Notice and an interim injunction to halt the work. He brought hardcore onto the land to further prepare it for use as a traveller site, in breach of the court order.
Court appearance and plea
McDonagh pleaded guilty to breaching the injunction when he appeared before County Court in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, in June. The suspended sentence will remain active for two years.
Site clearance and ongoing ban
Following the court case, McDonagh was required to remove all caravans, trailers, plant machinery, fencing, hardcore, pipes and a septic tank from the land. The council had received multiple complaints from residents about the unauthorised development.
The injunction banning any further unauthorised development of the site has been extended and will remain in force until December 2031.