Two men have been found guilty of developing greenbelt land in Badgeworth without planning permission.

Tewkesbury Borough Council’s planning officers took the case to Cheltenham Magistrate’s Court.

Mr Steven Tombs, owner of land off Badgeworth Lane in Badgeworth, and Mr James Staniland, the occupier of the land, pleaded guilty to the unauthorised use of an agricultural field with a hay barn for depositing builders’ waste material, and storing of caravans, motor vehicles and other miscellaneous items of residential paraphernalia.

They also pleased guilty to the development of land by creating a large hard surface with hard-core and aggregate without planning permission.

Mr Staniland and Mr Tombs were fined £1,007 and £922 respectively.

This latest successful prosecution, on Thursday, July 29 follows previous enforcement action and a prosecution.

Mr Tombs and Mr Staniland had been issued two enforcement notices against this unauthorised use and development of the land and were required to stop the activity, remove the caravans, vehicles and other material, and remove the large hard surface.

When both parties failed to comply with these enforcement notices, they were originally prosecuted on Monday, April 20, 2020.

They pleaded guilty and were fined £619 each.

Following continued failure to comply, the council brought a prosecution for this second time.

Councillor Mel Gore, lead member for built environment, said: “The unauthorised use and development of this land caused considerable damage in an area of open countryside within the green belt.

"Not only did the defendants’ actions have serious environmental implications, they also wilfully continued to disregard the enforcement notices issued against them.

“This prosecution demonstrates the council’s commitment to protecting the green belt and our open countryside and should act as a warning that we will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who disregards regulations or refuses to comply with an enforcement notice.”