Brighton and Hove City Council will apply to the County Court for possession of the land at the Black Rock car park on the Brighton Marina. Successfully acquiring the land will allow the council to evict Travellers who have lived in their caravans on the car park for more than a year.

       Brighton Council is eager to secure the land before more than 200 cars and motorbikes take part in this weekend’s Speed Trials.

       Clearing the land will also allow planned development work on The Marina to go ahead.

       The ￡12 million makeover will include building up to 520 homes, new pedestrian walkways and more accessible public landscapes and gardens.

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       A council spokesperson told The Argus: “There is a County Court hearing on Friday 3 September for possession of the land at the Black Rock car park. This would enable us to evict the group of van dwellers so that development work can go ahead.

       “We needed to take action before the end of this week because of the Speed Trails event this Sunday.”

       Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown, Lloyd Russell Moyle, added: “During lockdown, people were pushing for the people to be moved.

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       “We should not be evicting people if they do not need to be moved on. But equally, if the space is needed for development then it is reasonable and sensible to require them to move, that is what the law is for."

       The Brighton Speed Trials is considered the oldest motoring event in the world and has been running on Madeira Drive since 1905.

       Road cars, race cars and bikes will compete to win the fastest in their class in front of thousands of spectators.