Uniper UK Limited v Joshua Barter & Ors

Facts

Uniper UK Limited, the owner of the former coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, brought proceedings to restrain trespass and nuisance on the site by two broad groups of trespassers: named defendants and other persons unknown who entered the land for the purpose of what is known as urban exploration, and travellers, also persons unknown, who had previously entered the land to set up encampments. On 30 July 2025 Mellor J granted an interim injunction for a period of 12 months. He had reviewed the evidence of trespass by both the named individuals and persons unknown, and of specific incursions causing substantial loss and damage to the site, and considered the evidence overwhelmingly in favour of granting the order in the terms he did. That order gave the claimant permission to apply to extend or vary it, and Mellor J also permitted substituted service by various means, including Facebook messages to three of the four named defendants, email to a person connected with the second defendant, uploading documents to the claimant's website, and affixing notices at locations marked on a map at Schedule 2. By an application dated 30 June the claimant sought renewal of the injunction, this time for a period of 24 months. The defendants did not attend and were not represented.