Showpeople Family Prevails in Legal Battle Against Eviction
A family of showpeople has successfully defended their right to remain on their long-established home site against eviction efforts by Glasgow City Council.
The council had instructed legal representatives to seek authority from the Court of Session in Edinburgh to compel the community to vacate Pearce Street, located in the Govan area of Glasgow.
Local councillors have indicated that regeneration plans for the area cannot advance until the land currently occupied by two distinct showman's yards is cleared.
The Stringfellow family, residents of the Pearce Street site, contested the eviction action.
Their legal team argued that the family held the right to continue residing on the land and that the council lacked the legal authority to remove them.
In a ruling delivered by Lady Drummond, the court upheld the Stringfellow family's position.
Lady Drummond stated that the family's occupancy is protected under legislation related to mobile homes.
She found that the council had failed to comply with the statutory requirements necessary to terminate the residence agreement.
"I find that the defenders continue to have a right to occupy the site," she said.
"There having been no attempt by the pursuer in these proceedings to terminate in accordance with the statutory provisions, the lease continues on a month-to-month basis."
Family's Longstanding Connection to the Site
Jimmy Stringfellow and his family have lived on the Water Row yard for over 40 years.
The 76-year-old is part of a lineage of showpeople.
Before retiring, Jimmy travelled extensively across the country operating fairground rides, games, and snack vans. Remnants of this history remain visible around the yard, including a carousel horse displayed in a lounge window.
Jimmy told BBC Scotland News last year that the council had threatened eviction on more than 20 occasions.
"I've had more sheriffs than Robin Hood," he remarked.
"Every case we went to, we won it.
"They don't like me because I stand up to them and I'm not frightened of their fictitious authority."
Context of the Legal Dispute
The legal proceedings arise from Glasgow City Council's plans to regenerate one of the city's most deprived neighborhoods.
The initial phase of the Water Row masterplan included the construction of 92 flats and the opening of the Govan-Partick bridge. The second phase anticipates the development of an additional 100 homes.
However, a report presented to the city's contracts and property committee notes that progress is stalled because the council requires vacant possession of land currently occupied by two separate showman's yards.
The council has secured funding for other sites involved in the regeneration from the Scottish government.
The local authority states that the yards occupied by the Stringfellow family have the capacity to accommodate up to seven residential chalets.
They also believe that the relocation site at Parkhead would provide suitable accommodation for the Stringfellow family.
Legal Protections Under the Mobile Homes Act 1983
In her judgement, Lady Drummond referenced the Mobile Homes Act 1983, which offers protections to individuals residing in mobile homes on designated protected sites.
She noted that the Stringfellow family entered into an agreement with the council in the 1990s, and the council's argument that the act did not apply was incorrect.
"To argue now, over 30 years later, that the chalets are not caravans and therefore that the first defender has none of the protections of the legislation seems to fly in the face of what the parties agreed in 1995," Lady Drummond wrote.
The ruling allows the family to remain at the site for the present time.
The council must adhere to both the statutory provisions and the terms of the 1990s agreement to lawfully terminate the Stringfellow family's occupancy.
