Nick Jones, a lawyer, sold a four-acre field to a developer with strict covenants, but the land was subdivided and sold to travellers, causing chaos in West Chiltington.
At the start of the bank holiday weekend, Nick Jones, a successful lawyer, looked out from his 17th-century farmhouse in West Sussex and was horrified to see that the field just yards from his garden fence had been transformed into a noisy encampment of trucks, excavators, tarmac, and caravans.
The four-acre site, previously empty grassland, was now occupied by travellers who had arrived without permission and showed no intention of leaving. The idyllic village of West Chiltington, with its population of around 3,400, was suddenly confronted with an illegal settlement that brought verbal threats and abuse to its residents. For Mr. Jones, the situation was particularly devastating.
His five-bedroom, grade II listed farmhouse, complete with heated swimming pool and tennis court, valued at over £2 million, was the closest property to the encampment. But the deeper reason for his distress was that he had inadvertently played a role in bringing the travellers there. Mr. Jones had previously kept horses on the land, but when he no longer needed it, he sold the plot to a developer for £200,000 on July 21 last year.
He believed the buyer intended to build four or five executive homes and took precautions to prevent other uses. The sale was subject to restrictive covenants that specifically prohibited caravans or static homes, and a clause was inserted in the Land Registry title register requiring his written consent for any further sale. As a lawyer working for a London firm, he knew his way around contracts and thought these stipulations were sufficient.
However, the developer divided the land into plots and sold them to multiple buyers, some of whom were seemingly travellers who do not follow normal rules. Mr. Jones later learned of the developer's breach and tried to withdraw from the deal, but after losing litigation, he had to complete the sale. Now, he faces the blame from some locals who see him as responsible for ruining the village, though he insists he is working hard to remove the travellers.
He told the Daily Mail that his lawyers are pursuing private legal action for breach of covenant, in conjunction with council enforcement, and expressed confidence that they will prevail. However, the legal battle is expected to be protracted and difficult. Land Registry documents show the transfer was made to a company called UK Real Estate And Land 1 Limited, which has since been dissolved after a voluntary strike-off application.
The company's former director, Chad Brady, a 31-year-old from Yorkshire, is not thought to be part of the traveller community. Despite the restrictive covenants, the travellers remain, and villagers face a long road ahead in their efforts to reclaim their peaceful surroundings. The incident highlights the complexities of land sales and the challenges communities face when dealing with illegal encampments.
Mr. Jones and his neighbours are left waiting anxiously as legal proceedings unfold, hoping that the covenants will ultimately force the travellers to leave
Travellers Illegal Encampment Land Sale Restrictive Covenants West Sussex
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