Caravan left dumped near beach for several years will be removed

The owner of the wooden mobile home on Heacham North Beach has been given several years to remove it, with West Norfolk Council finally deciding enough was enough.

At a planning meeting on Monday, council officers said they first left an enforcement notice at the site in 2019.

%image(14455247, type="article-full", alt="The wooden caravan which has been abandoned at the roadside at North Beach in Heacham")

It said the caravan had been left in "an unduly prominent position harming the character and appearance of the countryside". No appeal was made, so it came into effect two months later.

Council officer Stuart Ashworth said they had received late correspondence from the owner ahead, asking for the decision to be deferred.

The owner, who was left unnamed, claimed he would go to the ombudsman if removal were agreed.

Mr Ashworth said: “He says he doesn’t have access to the library and he doesn’t have access to electronic means of communication, that means he can’t address the committee and feels he has been prejudiced by that.”

%image(14455248, type="article-full", alt="A faded message scrawled on the side of the abandoned caravan at Heacham reads; "Free to a good home."")

He added: “He disagrees with the validity of the enforcement notice, but there was no appeal served against it.

“The owner has had two years to remove the caravan and he hasn’t done so.”

Labour councillor Charles Joyce said he would have liked to have talked to the owner of the caravan, but said he had time to move it in the two years.

A report to the council gave a quote of £930 plus VAT for removing the vehicle, along with £10 a day for storage.

The council could attempt to recover its costs by placing a charge on the land, but it is not clear who owns it, so it does not expect the debt to be recovered.

Mr Ashworth said the owner would still have time to move it, even if the council approves its removal.

Councillors voted unanimously to remove the caravan.